Karnataka - Hassan   

`Sangh Parivar behind anti-quota agitation'

Staff Correspondent

Siddaramaiah questions Deve Gowda's `silence' on the issue

HASSAN: Criticising the agitation against the 27 per cent reservation for Other Backward Classes (OBCs) in institutions of higher learning, the former Deputy Chief Minister Siddaramaiah alleged that the Sangh Parivar and a few corporate houses were trying their best to sustain the agitation.

Mr. Siddaramaiah, who was here to canvas support for H.A. Venkatesh, who is contesting from the South Teachers constituency for elections to the Legislative Council, addressing presspersons said that some private managements and corporate houses were supporting the agitation and the BJP was also backing them.

He took exception to the "silence" of the former Prime Minister and Janata Dal (Secular) president H.D. Deve Gowda on the issue. Why was Mr. Deve Gowda, who claimed to be the champion of internal reservation and social justice, silent on the issue?

Dubbing the BJP's stand with regard to the reservation issue as "ambiguous", he said while the party wanted quota for "economically weaker sections among the upper castes" why was it not opposing capitation fee in institutions of higher education.

Responding to a query on the decision of the Karnataka Development Front Government to privatise water supply in Hubli-Dharwad, Belgaum and Gulbarga towns, he said the decision would harm the interests of the poor in the long run and he would oppose the move tooth and nail. On the victory of the Congress candidate V.R. Sudarshan, who was supported by the AIPJD, in the Legislative Council elections, he said it proved that it was not possible to win every election by employing money and muscle power, and it was a loss of face for the Janata Dal (S).

Pointing out at the contradictions in Anti-defection Act, Mr. Siddaramaiah said it was the right time to amend the law.

It had obstructed the legislators of political parties from questioning the "autocracy" in parties. "In our case, we have not questioned even the dictatorial attitude of Mr. Deve Gowda and not acted against the interests of the party in any manner. We spoke about the ideology the party believed in," he said.

The suspended JD (S) legislators had not done any thing that should attract the provisions of the Anti-Defection Act.

"In fact, it is Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy who violated party's code of conduct, by participating in the BJP's legislative committee meeting and forming the Government with that party, which the JD (S) considered communal," he said.

Citing the example of the Speaker's silence on the issue of two BJP legislators switching their loyalty to the former Chief Minister S. Bangarappa, he hoped that the Speaker would not act against the Constitution.

To a query on the plans of the party taking action against the suspended legislators, Mr. Siddaramaiah said that Mr. Deve Gowda could expel them for questioning him. "Let him do that if he has the courage," he said.

Mr. Siddaramaiah also alleged that the Government was harassing the suspended MLAs by refusing to take up development works in their constituencies.

Expressing his apprehensions over the longevity of the Government, he charged that as Mr. Deve Gowda was making an effort to divide the BJP with the help of Deputy Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa, there was no hope of the Government completing its first 20 months in office.

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