Doreswamy a puppet in Deve Gowda’s hands: D K Shivakumar
Shivakumar described Doreswamy as “an agent and a puppet"
By : bhaskar hegde
Update: 2014-11-17 08:11 GMT
Bengaluru: Freedom fighter H.S. Doreswamy is caught in a political crossfire between Mr D.K. Shivakumar and the Deve Gowda family. Mr Doreswamy, who is revered and respected across political spectrum, was described as “an agent and a puppet of Mr Deve Gowda” by senior Congress leader and Energy Minister Shivakumar.
In an exclusive interview with Deccan Chronicle, Mr Shivakumar spewed venom against the Gandhian and another social activist S.R. Hiremath.
When his attention was drawn to allegations against his family, the energy minister brushed aside all charges and said they were politically motivated. Asked why even Mr Doreswamy, a nonpolitical activist, made similar allegations, Mr Shivakumar said, “I know him. He is from my area. He is Deve Gowda’s agent. He is a puppet in the hands of Mr Gowda.” He wondered why Mr Doreswamy and Mr Hiremath made allegations only against him and his family “Why can’t they raise their voice against Deve Gowda’s family? There are so many cases against Mr Gowda and his children.”
On the secret behind his inclusion into the Siddaramaiah cabinet, he said, “The party high command might have realised that it can’t keep a dynamic leader like me out of the cabinet for a very long time.”
Mr Siddaramarah had kept Mr Shivakumar out of the ministry for almost six months, reportedly on the advice of Mr Doreswamy and others. But Mr Shivakumar pulled strings in New Delhi and ensured that the high command forced the chief minister’s hand.
But he was evasive on the exclusion of other dynamic leaders like him from the cabinet. “The party high command knows best and decides on the ministers.”