With just 2 weeks left for bypolls, CM brokers peace with Kurubas: H C Madhuswamy
BSY says sorry after community demands minister Madhuswamy’s resignation for ‘abusing’ a Kuruba seer.
Bengaluru: The BJP, which is already contending with rebels in a few assembly constituencies these bypolls, is now having to deal with hostility from the Kuruba community after law and parliamentary affairs minister, H.C. Madhuswamy allegedly abused their community pontiff, Eshwarananda Swamiji.
Considering the impact their anger could have on the party during the bypolls, Chief Minister, B.S.Yediyurappa has lost no time in apologising to the community on behalf of Mr. Madhuswamy, but doesn't seem to have succeeded in pacifying it.
It was at a peace meeting on the row over the removal of a signboard at Kanaka Circle in Huliyar town ,Chikkanayakanahalli taluk in Tumakuru, that the minister is said to have lost his temper and abused the pontiff, who was present along with leaders of the Lingayat community.
As a video clip of the meeting went viral on social media, Kuruba community leaders took strong objection to Mr. Madhuswamy's treatment of their pontiff and demanded an apology from him.
But when the minister maintained that he had shown no disrespect to the seer, leaders of the Kuruba Sangha called for his resignation.
With political parties trying to hijack the issue, the Chief Minister intervened on Wednesday and apologising on the minister's behalf, assured that no change would be made in the name of Kanaka Circle .
But the Kuruba Sangha continued to insist that the chief minister drop the minister from his Cabinet.
Seeing the issue snowball into a major controversy, BJP leaders claimed that former Chief Minister and Kuruba strongman, Siddaramaiah was instigating his community against their party with an eye on the byelections. Mr Siddaramaiah continues to be the unrivalled mascot of the Kurubas who are behind only the Lingayats and Vokkaligas when it comes to their numbers.
"This is the outcome of Mr. Siddaramaiah's dirty tricks. As he is aware that the Congress is losing the bypolls, he has taken another route to win them," they charged.