BENGALURU: Uttar Pradesh chief minister

took potshots at his

counterpart

’s “proclamation of being a Hindu” before assembly polls scheduled in May 2018.

Yogi, who received a rousing welcome at his election rally in Bengaluru on Sunday, said Karnataka has had a long association with north India with the state being the “janmabhoomi (birthplace) of Hanuman who assisted Lord Rama in bringing back Sita from the clutches of Ravana”.

Raking up the issue of

ban in the state at the last leg of the Parivartan rally, Yogi said, “If Siddaramaiah is a Hindu, then let him ban cow slaughter and beef in the state. The BJP government previously had brought an effective piece of legislation to ban cow slaughter. What did you (Siddaramaiah) do? Soon after coming to power, the

government retracted it.” The UP CM also cited the alleged killings of 22 Sangh Parivar workers in the state, for which no action has been taken.