Bengaluru: It was former Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy who had earlier created a controversy with his comments regarding the fall of the Congress-Janata Dal Secular (JDS) coalition government in the state. However, the JDS leader has now appeared to have taken a U-turn, advising senior Congress leader Siddaramaiah that this is not a time to fight.
“This is not a time to answer Siddaramaiah’s allegation. The political wind across the country is moving one way. It’s time for secular forces to unite and fighting each other is unhealthy at the moment. I will answer everything at the right time,” Kumaraswamy wrote in a tweet.
On Friday morning, Congress Legislature Party leader Siddaramaiah addressed a press conference where he accused the Gowda family of causing the coalition to rupture. He launched a tirade against his one-time political mentor HD Deve Gowda, who has been making allegations holding him responsible for the previous Congress-JDS coalition government’s collapse.
Dismissing the charges as "baseless" and "politically motivated", Siddaramaiah said Gowda was hurling such charges out of "political hatred" and to project him as "anti-Vokkaliga" with an intention to weaken the Congress in the old Mysuru region.
Holding Gowda and his sons Kumaraswamy and HD Revanna (a former minister) squarely responsible for the coalition government's fall, Siddaramaiah challenged them to show at least one instance of his "interference" in governance.
The Gowdas had earlier criticised Siddaramaiah, almost a month after the coalition broke up and a BJP-led government came to power in the state. Kumaraswamy earlier this week had alleged that Siddaramaiah was the reason for the political turmoil between the Congress and JDS lawmakers.
“For Siddaramaiah, the JDS is the first enemy, even before the BJP. He was never happy with the government formation under me,” Kumarawamy had said.
Gowda said Siddaramaiah always wanted BS Yediyurappa to be the chief minister and himself the Leader of Opposition and was not comfortable with Kumaraswamy running the government. He even blamed Siddaramaiah for his defeat in the recent Lok Sabha elections.
“Siddaramaiah got me and my grandson Nikhil defeated in Lok Sabha elections. He had fielded Independent candidate Sumalatha against Nikhil in Mandya,” he said.
Siddaramiah, whose ambition has often been blamed for the coalition’s instability, said he could not remain quiet anymore.
“Deve Gowda has made some serious allegations against me. The Gowda family hates me. They want to finish me politically. They feel that they can finish the Congress by pushing me out. Gowda is known for such old tricks,” he said.
After Siddaramaiah’s scathing attack came Kumaraswamy’s volte face, who appeared to have forgotten that he had taken pot shots against the Congress leader in the first place.
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