Karnataka: Congress Bars Officials from Attending Kumaraswamy’s Public Meet
Bengaluru: A circular from the ruling Congress Government barred officials from attending Janata Darshan, a public redressal meeting by State president of Janata Dal Secular (JDS) and Union Minister of Heavy Industries H.D Kumaraswamy in Mandya on Friday. Kumaraswamy termed it a politics of vengeance while Chief Minister Siddaramaiah stated “Old practice continued.”
Kumaraswamy represents the Mandya parliamentary seat and told reporters the State Government discussed ways to scuttle his janata darshan programme at the cabinet meeting on Thursday. “They can stop officials from participating in the meeting but they cannot come in the way of meeting people,” said Kumaraswamy.
He asked Chief Minister Siddaramaiah “Where were the guidelines when previous Lok Sabha member of Bengaluru Rural seat D.K. Suresh (Congress party) conducted janata darshan in Channapatna town bringing in officials concerned when I was the MLA?”
In Bengaluru, about the circular Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said “It has been issued not keeping Kuamarswamy in mind. It has been the practice and the same has been continued.” Continuing, he said, only Chief Minister and concerned District incharge Ministers can conduct janata darshan programmes.
He pointed out “When Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was in power I being a Leader of Opposition was barred from conducting review meetings” and stated barring officials from janata darshan programmes was not new in Karnataka.
On the janata darshan of Kumaraswamy, D.K. Shivakumar in Bengaluru told reporters “Let him meet people” and added “Protocol has been maintained.”
Leader of Opposition and BJP MLA R. Ashok observed barring officials from attending janata darshan of Kumaraswamy would lead to tussle between the State and the Central Governments in coming days. Ashok said Kumaraswamy represents Mandya and well within his powers to conduct janata darshan programme.
