Caste-wise meets: Why not, asks Siddaramaiah

Mysore: Rubbishing media reports that some Congress leaders, including KPCC chief Dr G. Parameshwar have complained to the high command on caste-wise (AHINDA) conventions, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said there was no bickering and termed the reports fictitious.

“There is no harm in holding caste-wise conventions. It will help the deprived communities join the mainstream and work for their own development. There is nothing political about these conventions”, he told reporters at the helipad before attending a series of programmes in the city on Tuesday. He also condemned former PM H.D. Deve Gowda’s recent criticism of the meets.

On Samaj Parivartana Samudaya founder S.R. Hiremath’s latest charges, Siddaramaiah dared Hiremath to submit proof against D.K. Shivakumar and Roshan Baig, if any, in the court.

He said the Congress party wants to make India a hunger-free country and requested people not to fall prey to vicious campaigns of BJP and JD(S). Replying to a query about sugarcane growers’ demands, Siddaramaiah said, “The price for a tonne of cane is fixed at Rs 2,500, which sugar-factory owners and crushers have refused to pay and have gone to court. We have held one round of talks with the growers and crushers and the problem will be amicably sorted out soon after the next round of talks, as directed by the court.”

The CM also inaugurated Bahuroopi, the weeklong theatre extravaganza at Rangayana along with noted actor Prakash Raj on the theme, “Sufi Saint Harmony”, by receiving an infant as a symbol of harmony.