MYSURU: A stunned Congress leader in Lok Sabha, M Mallikarjun Kharge, KPCC president, Dr G Parameshwar, Chief Minister, Siddaramaiah, and his cabinet colleagues watched former Union minister and veteran leader B Janardhan Poojary haul the ruling Congress over the coals for not rewarding party workers with posts at a mega rally here on Saturday.
Addressing “Gram Swaraj” rally here, Mr Poojary told Mr Siddaramaiah: “Workers are the soul of the party. You have come to power with their support.
If you do not give them importance, neither the state nor the Indian National Congress will forgive you. Some ministers are even hesitating to talk to party workers. Remove them from the cabinet.
I thought Mr Siddaramaiah had courage, but what happened now? I am with you. Even Ms Sonia Gandhi and Mr Rahul Gandhi will support you. So it is very important that you remove them. If you keep them, the Congress will not be voted to power again.”
He did not stop at that. He egged party workers on to rise and demonstrate their strength. Shocked and visibly upset by Mr Poojary’s remarks at the rally, Mr Siddaramaiah assured to look into it and called him off the mike.
Mr Poojary left the venue immediately saying he had some other engagements in Mysuru.
The former KPCC president’s outburst evoked a response from Mr Kharge who said in his address “This convention is a very significant and special one. We should be motivating our workers and encourage them to emerge victorious in zilla and taluk panchayat elections and also how to strengthen the party.”
Health minister U T Khader and food and civil supplies minister Dinesh Gundurao backed Mr Siddaramaiah and denied any internal squabbles in the ruling party.
