Kalaburagi: Sticking to his claim that the JD(S) was planning to tie- up with the BJP in case of a fractured verdict in the state, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Tuesday dismissed JD(S) supremo, H D Deve Gowda’s statement that he would disown his son and state party chief, H D Kumaraswamy if he chose to join hands with the BJP, as a gimmick.
Speaking to reporters here, Mr Siddaramaiah said he did not believe the octogenarian leader. “In the past too Mr Gowda had said he would walk over Mr Kumaraswamy’s body if he joined hands with the BJP. But did he not embrace him afterwards?” he demanded, claiming that the jD(S) leader had only made the statement to appease the Muslim voters.
The fact that the BJP had fielded weak candidates in K R Nagar, Periyapatna and Chamundeshawari was evidence enough of the tacit understanding between the two parties, he maintained. “I have no problem with the BJP and JD(S) joining hands, but then the latter party should not claim to be secular, ” he added.
On Mr Deve Gowda demanding that he prove that BJP national president, Amit Shah and Mr Kumaraswamy had travelled on the same flight to Delhi, Mr Siddaramaiah said he had made the statement based on valid information.
On BJP candidate for Badami, B Sriramulu inviting him to an open debate, he said it was Mr Yeddyurappa, who had backed out when he invited him to a similar debate. “Now what moral right do these fellows, who have gone to jail have to ask for one,” he retorted.
Hitting out at Union Minister, D.V.Sadanand Gowda’s claim that he had reduced the Lokayukta to a toothless organisation, the Chief Minister wanted to know why the Modi government had delayed the appointment of the Lokpal despite being in power for four years. “Has Mr Narendra Modi constituted the Lokpal? Did he constitute it when he was Chief Minister? What moral right do they have to demand it from me?” he asked.
Asked why the Congress had failed to make the Lingayat religion controversy a poll issue, he claimed the party did not see it as a political matter.
As for the pre-poll survey by C-Fore, giving the Congress a clear edge over other parties in the state, Mr.Siddaramaiah said election surveys were sometimes accurate and at times, wrong. “I don’t entirely depend on surveys. I know the pulse of the people,” he said.
