Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru (MS)

Bengaluru, Aug 23: Former Karnataka CM and leader of Congress Legislature Party (CLP) Siddaramaiah blasted at JD (S) supremo and former PM H D Deve Gowda, who was Siddramaiah's mentor once upon a time. 

It was evident from the outrage expressed by Siddaramaiah that he and Deve Gowda are still at loggerheads and have not patched up from their old enmity. 

Speaking at a press conference in the city on August 23, Friday, Siddaramaiah said that the former JD (S) and Congress coalition government was headed by H D Kumaraswamy, son of Deve Gowda and not him. Hence, he is not responsible for the collapse in any way. This was in retaliation to the accusation made by Deve Gowda in some news channels that Siddaramaiah was responsible for the collapse of the former coalition government of JD (S) and Congress. 

Siddaramaiah said, "I will never stoop to such low level that I will topple a government. In fact, that is the virtue reserved for Deve Gowda and his sons Kumaraswamy and Revanna by birth. Gowda is expert in toppling governments.” 

"According to Deve Gowda, I was jealous of H D Kumaraswamy becoming chief minister of the state. On the contrary, when the Congress party high command asked me to support JD (S), which had only 37 MLAs, to form the government, though we had 80 MLAs with us, I did so without questioning the decision because my intention was to keep BJP out of power in the state. I also gave my wholehearted support throughout the 14 months of the coalition government and never meddled in the functioning of the government,” Siddaramaiah stressed. 

"It is a sad fact that the coalition government was brought down by Deve Gowda, H D Kumaraswamy and H D Revanna. I am not the one saying this. Ask the MLAs. If Kumaraswamy had taken all the MLAs into confidence and also the work in their respective constituencies, then the government would have been intact,” he said. 

"Not a single MLA went against me when I was CM and I completed my term of five years. Why were they faithful to me? Unilateral decisions and not taking the MLAs into confidence resulted in the collapse of the government and nothing else. In order to hide their inefficiency, they are blaming me,” he pointed out. 

"Deve Gowda and Kumaraswamy are responsible for the growth of BJP in Karnataka. BJP would not have assumed the present status had JD (S) not withdrawn the support to the then Dharam Singh led Congress government and joined hands with the BJP. JD(S) stuck a 20:20 deal with BJP and did not abide by the agreement after 20 months of completion of Kumaraswamy in power. If JD(S) complied with the agreement, Yediyurappa would have been the CM for 20 months and BJP would not have won 110 seats. This all has happened because of Deve Gowda and Kumaraswamy,” he lashed out. 

Deve Gowda had also accused Siddaramaiah of working against the JD (S) in the recent Lok Sabha polls, because of which Deve Gowda lost from the Tumakuru Lok Sabha seat and his grandson Nikhil Kumaraswamy lost against Sumalatha Ambareesh in Mandya. 

Replying to this allegation, Siddaramaiah said, "It is true that I had alerted Congress high command not to have an alliance with the JD (S) for the Lok Sabha elections. But the high command went with the alliance anyway. If Deve Gowda accuses me of being responsible for Nikhil Kumaraswamy's defeat in the constituency of Mandya, then who will be held responsible for the defeat of Congress candidates in the constituencies of Chamarajanagar, Mysuru, Kolar and Chikkaballapur? How come Prajwal won in Hassan without the support of Congress? People were fed up with the family politics of Deve Gowda. That is why Deve Gowda and Nikhil lost their seats. That is the truth." 

Long ago, Siddaramaiah was in the good books of Deve Gowda as he was in the JD (S) party then. However, in 2005, Deve Gowda expelled him from the party as he tried to emerge as the leader of Ahinda movement, which was done in support of minorities, backward classes and Dalits. 

"Deve Gowda only encourages his children and family to grow in politics. Even if they are from his own Vokkaliga community, he will not allow them to flourish. What happened to Byre Gowda, Nagegowda, Chandregowda, Govindegowda and Jeevaraj Alva?" questioned Siddaramaiah, hinting that Deve Gowda only allows his family members to grow in JD(S). 

"These are the old gimmicks played by Deve Gowda to attract sympathy in the political circles. He always tries to pass the buck. His allegations against me are false, politically motivated and aim to throw muck on my character and status. There is also a possibility that Deve Gowda is trying to please BJP by playing this blame game," concluded the former chief minister of the state.