Karnataka - Bangalore   

Janata Dal (S) not against Veerashaivas: Kumaraswamy

H.D. Kumaraswamy

Bangalore: Former Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy on Saturday clarified that Janata Dal (Secular ) supremo H.D. Deve Gowda withdrew support to the Bharatiya Janata Party-led Government because of its communal agenda. He said it was improper to state that the JD (S) was against the Veerashaivas.

Participating in a meet the press programme organised by the Bangalore Reporters’ Guild and Press Club of Bangalore, Mr. Kumaraswamy appealed to the people, particularly Veerashaivas, not to make the power transfer to the BJP a big issue during the elections, but to view the episode in an objective perspective. He ruled out that the people would sympathise with the BJP.

Mr. Kumaraswamy alleged that the people had made an attempt to set the Veerashaivas against the JD (S), but gradually such an opinion was waning. He said that the Janata Dal (S) had not betrayed anybody, let alone the BJP and it was not good for the State, if the people had such a notion about his party. Former Minister H. Chaluvaraya Swamy was also present at the press meet.

Citing the clout the regional parties in Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh were wielding with the Union Government and getting funds and programmes for their States, the JD (S) leader said that the people in the State should also take a leaf out of their book and find an alternative to the BJP and the Congress in the next elections. The voters, he said had a responsibility in supporting such a venture.

Taking a dig at the then Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa for sanctioning large amount of funds for various religious maths, he charged him with appeasing the mathadhipatis with an eye on the votes. Asked why he did not stall such an attempt, Mr. Kumaraswamy said they would have burnt his effigies and adorned his portrait with garland made of chappals. Asked which party, the BJP or the Congress, he would opt for in the event of another fractured verdict Mr. Kumaraswamy, did not want to hazard a guess. He only uttered the ‘time-honoured remark: let us see what happens in the future’.

Mr. Kumaraswamy also seemed to be taking the exodus of the party leaders and former MLAs to other parties in his stride. Despite the negative impact of the withdrawal of support to the BJP, he said that the party workers and leaders, who remained with him would go to polls with the programmes implemented by it. He said that he was confident of winning a maximum of seats by getting support from unexpected voters.

He ruled out that Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi could tilt the balance in favour of the BJP in the State and said 10 Modis could not change the mood of the people. However, he said that Mr. Modi was welcome to campaign for his party in the State.

On reserving seats to women, all he would say was that his programme for alleviating the sufferings of Devadasi women was indicative of the intention of the JD (S).

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