Bengaluru, Jan 25 (IANS): As Karnataka inches closer to assembly elections, two major national parties in the state, ruling BJP and opposition Congress are indulging in ugly fight. The leaders are getting personal and targeting one another.

Karnataka Congress President D.K. Shivakumar launched an attack on Wednesday against former minister and BJP MLA Ramesh Jarkiholi. "I have not asked him to remove his pants," he stated, referring to the alleged sex-CD scandal.

Ramesh Jarkiholi had sought a CBI inquiry against Shivakumar. He had also attacked Begalavi Rural MLA Lakshmi Hebbalkar that it is time for her to go.

Shivakumar, referring to Jarkiholi, stated, "he was the person who destroyed Congress party. Who facilitated operation lotus and ensured Congress-led coalition government."

Congress MLA from Sringeri K.B. Raje Gowda, while attacking BJP and Hindu activists, used the word 'children of prostitute'. He had also targeted BJP, RSS and religious mutts and later apologised for his remarks, stating that the abuse he used should not be a part of any individual's culture.

Karnataka BJP President, Nalin Kumar Kateel's remarks that questions should be asked on love-jihad and not on roads and infrastructure, also stirred a huge controversy.

BJP state unit had also launched an attack on late Prime Ministers Indira Gandhi and her son Rajiv Gandhi that they died because of their own mistakes. The BJP has also alleged that they initially nursed terrorism, which in later stages took their lives.