I won’t keep quiet anymore: HD Deve Gowda on JD(S)-Congress tussle in Karnataka
BANGALURU : Former prime minister HD Deve Gowda finally broke his silence on the ongoing ‘tiff’ between his Janata Dal (Secular) and the Congress party – the ruling alliance partners in Karnataka. Just days after the Congress-JD(S) government survived an alleged attempt by the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party to dislodge it from power, Gowda expressed his ‘pain’ over the perceived difference between the two coalition partners. The former Prime Minister demanded that the Congress prevent its legislators from uttering loose remarks that could hurt their working relationship. “Is this any way to run a coalition government? Every day, we have to request our coalition partner to not utter unparliamentary remarks,” he said.Gowda said it has just been six months since the two parties formed the government in Karnataka with his son, HD Kumaraswamy as chief minister, a lot of undesirable developments had taken place.“I am in pain. Today, six months have completed since Kumaraswamy became chief minister. All kinds of things have happened in these six months. Till now I have not opened my mouth, but I can’t keep quiet now,” the JD(S) leader said at an event on Wednesday.“Is this any way to run a coalition government, where every day you have to request your coalition partner to not give unparliamentary remarks,” he added.
Deve Gowda broke his silence just days after several Karnataka Congress leaders said they wanted former CM Siddaramaiah back at the helm.On his part, Kumaraswamy has also on a number of occasions said that he was not happy being part of the coalition and was ready to step down if that was what was desired. He has also, in a message to the Congress, said that his party should not be treated as “third grade citizen” by the alliance partner.
“…in my opinion if Congress loses its way and tries to move with overconfidence, what will happen they will understand, with their past political experience, I do not think they will forget them. They should treat us respectfully. They should not treat us as third-grade citizen. There should be give and take policy,” he recently told news Agency PTI.
Mr Gowda claimed that he has been “in pain” ever since his son became the Chief Minister half a year ago. “All kinds of things have happened in these six months. I have not opened my mouth till now, but I can’t keep quiet anymore,” he added. A few days ago, a visibly offended Mr Kumaraswamy had even offered to quit his post. The warnings issued by Mr Gowda and his son are seen as a reaction to Congress legislator ST Somasekhar’s recent remark that Karnataka would have witnessed “real development” if former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had received another term. His party colleague, C Puttarangashetty, went a step further by saying that Mr Siddaramaiah is the only chief minister in his book.
On Monday, Mr Kumaraswamy asked its alliance partner to control its lawmakers because they were “crossing the alliance line”. “If they want to continue with the same thing, I am ready to step down. They are crossing the line,” he told reporters, adding that such wayward behaviour will only hurt the alliance partner. The Congress tried to make amends in the hours that followed, with state unit chief Dinesh Gundu Rao saying that “statements crossing the lakshmanrekha of coalition politics” will not be tolerated. He also said that Mr Somasekhar has apologised for his remarks.
Mr Kumaraswamy seems to have calmed down since then. “I’m telling you all as well as the people of the state to have faith in me. Yes, I did say yesterday that I will resign due to certain developments. I said that because a few people were talking against me,” he said today.The Congress had joined hands with the Janata Dal (Secular) to keep the BJP out of power after the Karnataka elections threw up a hung assembly last year. State BJP chief BS Yeddyurappa had said at the time that the “unholy alliance” between the two parties will not last.
(With Agency Inputs ).
