GULBARGA: Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president M. Mallikarjun Kharge on Monday declined to comment on the participation of former Union Minister and Congress Working Committee (CWC) member Jaffer Sharief in a conference of the Bahujan Samaj Party in Bangalore.

Addressing presspersons here, Mr. Kharge said that he would ascertain all details from Mr. Sharief on his sharing the dais with BSP leader Mayawati.

He said that former Union Minister R.L. Jalappa informed him over telephone on Sunday that Mr. Sharief had attended the conference of the BSP. "I will get all details from Mr. Sharief before making any statement on the matter," he added.

He said that during his tenure as All India Congress Committee General Secretary, Mr. Sharief was in-charge of Uttar Pradesh, and since then he had been in touch with many leaders from that State.

Mr. Sharief, who was also a Minister in the Union Government, had contacts with several leaders, including Ms. Mayawati. Mr. Kharge said the KPCC would not propose to issue notice to Mr. Sharief seeking an explanation.

Mr. Sharief was a member of the Congress Working Committee and the party High Command might seek an explanation from him.

On some Veerashaiva leaders of the party accusing the KPCC leadership of sidelining them and not allowing them to meet Prime Minister Manmohan Singh during his visit to Bangalore recently, Mr. Kharge said no leader was prevented from meeting the Prime Minister.

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