Son Made Statement Under Pressure From Reporters: CM Siddaramaiah
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said he enquired his son Dr Yathindra Siddaramaiah and he clarified that he made a statement on reported change of guard on ideology basis
BENGALURU: Coming to the defense of his son and Congress MLC Dr Yathindra Siddaramaiah, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Friday stated his son’s statement on reported change of guard in Karnataka has been “twisted” and said his son made the statement under pressure from reporters.
In Bengaluru, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said he enquired his son Dr Yathindra Siddaramaiah and he clarified that he made a statement on reported change of guard on ideology basis. Yathindra, on the sidelines of the function, ruled out a change of guard in Karnataka and stated “no discussions have taken place at the high command level.”
It may be recalled here, Dr Yathindra, addressing a gathering in Raibagh of Belagavi, a couple of days back, stated his father, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, is in search for a leader who is progressive and value-based to lead the party after him. The statement assumed significance in the wake of Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar, said to be frontrunner to replace Siddaramaiah as Chief Minister.
Meanwhile, president of Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) and Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar declined to comment on serving a show-cause notice to Dr Yathindra over his public statement which violated the party discipline but assured “Take-up discussion with leaders concerned (in New Delhi).”
The statement by Dr Yathindra Siddaramaiah has not gone well with the supporters of D.K. Shivakumar and the leaders have insisted on initiating disciplinary action against him citing violation of party discipline and creating confusion in the party cadres. They demanded party top brass to “gag” Yathindra.
A Congress MLA, a supporter of D.K. Shivakumar, stated serving show-cause notice to Yathindra serves no purpose at all.
The party served show-cause notices to MLAs Basavaraj Shivaganga and Iqbal Hussain over their statements in public on change of guard in Karnataka and backing D.K. Shivakumar to be the next Chief Minister.
