BENGALURU:
“MLAs are demanding to call the Legislative party meet. The meeting was supposed to be held last week. However, it had to be postponed due to the arrival of former AICC president Rahul Gandhi. I have called a legislative party meeting on Thursday,” Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said.
Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Tuesday ruled out any internal revolt among Ministers in the state and added that there would be a Legislative party meeting on Thursday. Speaking at the Hubli airport, Siddaramaiah said, “It has been only two months since the formation of the government. Minor upsets are normal. However, we are not upset enough to complain.” He clarified that he had not received any complaints from MLAs.
On the legislative party meeting, which has been scheduled for Thursday, the Chief Minister said, “MLAs are demanding to call the Legislative party meet. The meeting was supposed to be held last week. However, it had to be postponed due to the arrival of former AICC president Rahul Gandhi. I have called a legislative party meeting on Thursday.” Siddaramaiah also rubbished claims allegedly made by Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar about a plan in Singapore to destabilize the government. When questioned about his deputy’s statement, he said, “Ask this question to DK Shivakumar”.
The reports of these “minor upsets” in the Karnataka cabinet come amid the surfacing of an alleged video of Senior Congress leader and MLC BK Hariprasad expressing outrage against Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah. The video had gone viral on social media platforms. In the purported video, BK Hariprasad could be heard saying, “I know how to make CM and how to bring him down. I do not beg from anyone. I will stand with my chest. Becoming a minister is a different question.”
“Siddaramaiah belongs to the backward class. We gave support in 2013 because we wanted everyone to remain united,” the Congress MLC said. Hariprasad also alleged that politically, the Billava and Ediga communities were not able to come forward, and expressed his displeasure that they were falling victim to someone’s conspiracies.
While reacting to the viral video on Saturday, Hariprasad said that he doesn’t talk about resentment and that he accepts what he said as “true”. “I will not take back a word that I have said. I will be bound by what I have said. It is not my word if I have not said it. Even so, I will be bound by my word if I have said it,” he said while speaking to reporters in Bengaluru later on Saturday. PTI
