Bengaluru: Playing down media reports about discontent brewing between, Chief Minister, Siddaramaiah and KPCC president, Dr G. Parameshwar, AICC general secretary, K.C. Venugopal on Tuesday asserted that both leaders were on the same page as far as party programmes are concerned.
Speaking to reporters here, Mr Venugopal said, "There is no discontent brewing between anyone in the Congress party but surely, we have minor differences of opinion like any other party. We do not bother much about such things."
He added that both leaders went together to New Delhi and came back too, which means their relations are cordial enough to take the party forward unitedly in the polls.
"Dr Parameshwar is certainly not attending programmes organised by the state government except in Tumakuru from where he hails. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah's yatra that is scheduled from December 13 too is a government sponsored Yatra, hence party leaders including Dr Parameshwar cannot attend unless they hail from the respective constituencies where the yatra will be passing. This is not an issue," he declared.
Training his guns on BJP leaders, Mr Venugopal charged that they were trying to find an excuse to disturb communal harmony which is why their party MP Pratap Simha barged into a barricade in Hunsur. "This is an unethical way of targeting a smoothly running government," he charged. Answering another question, Mr Venugopal said he would quit public life if charges of sexual harassment against him were proved in court.
Cong frontal outfits told to perform
Seemingly fed up with the lethargic approach of the KPCC's frontal organisations like Karanataka Pradesh Youth Congress Committee, SC-ST Wing and Kisan wing, AICC general secretary, K. C. Venugopal pulled up its chiefs for not living up to expectations at a time when polls are nearing.
Speaking to Deccan Chronicle, a senior leader who attended series of meetings held in the KPCC office, stated that Mr Venugopal was deeply upset with these wings for not doing enough in the last couple of months. "When representatives of the KPYCC met him, Mr Venugopal asked them what the KPYCC's contribution in building the party was? How many contact programmes had they launched? How many protests had they organised? And what were they doing when the BJP's
Yuva Morcha was trying to instigate violence? He reportedly asked the KPYCC leaders to stop giving excuses of being a relatively new outfit," the leader explained.
Mr Venugopal also asked the SC-ST wing leaders to stop wasting time by engaging in arm-chair politicking. BJP leaders like Go. Madhusudhan are issuing statements against Dr Ambedkar but the party’s SC-ST wing leaders are quiet. Why have you not protested against such statements? he asked.
Apart from this, he also pulled up Kisan wing leaders for not actively taking part in the Mane-Manege Congress programme. "CM Siddaramaiah has waived off farmer loans to the tune of Rs 10,000 crore but there was not a single programme to celebrate this,” he said angrily.
