No difference of opinion with DK Shivakumar, says CM Siddaramaiah
Bengaluru (PTI): Seeking to put an end to the raging leadership row involving them, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and his deputy DK Shivakumar on Saturday put up a united front, asserting there were no differences between them and that they would be united in the future as well.
At a joint press conference addressed by the two leaders after Shivakumar met Siddaramaiah for a breakfast meeting at the former's Cauvery residence, the Congress seniors said they will abide by the party high command's decision.
The breakfast meet was convened by the CM at the behest of the Congress high command to end the logjam over the issue bothering the 2.5 year old Congress government, with the opposition BJP warning of moving a no confidence motion should the power tussle between the CM and his deputy continue.
Addressing the press conference, Siddaramaiah said, "I had a breakfast meeting with Shivakumar because some unwanted confusion was created. It was created by the media."
"We don't have differences. Even today there are no differences, there won't be any in future as well. I will ensure that from now on it does not exist," he said.
On his part, Shivakumar said people had supported the Congress party and brought it to power. Hence, the Congress has to live up to their expectations.
Dismissing differences with the CM, Shivakumar said, "we don't have factionalism."
"We will go together, take everyone along and abide by the party high command."
Shivakumar, who is also the Congress state president, said that he discussed the strategy for the 2028 assembly polls to tackle opposition parties and also the ways to deal with the no confidence motion if the BJP moves it in the upcoming winter session of Karnataka legislative in Belagavi.
He also made it clear that the party would fight the 2028 assembly polls under the leadership of AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge and Congress MP Rahul Gandhi.
"The party is in a very difficult stage in the country we still have the confidence that Karnataka will play a major role (in its revival). And we will repeat in 2028," the 2023 poll victory, he added.
Earlier, in a social media post after the breakfast meet, Shivakumar said the two leaders had productive discussion.
"Met Hon’ble CM Shri @siddaramaiah avaru at Cauvery Residence this morning for a breakfast meeting. A productive discussion on Karnataka’s priorities and the road ahead," he said.
All eyes were on the outcome of the meeting.
While Siddaramaiah has been asserting that he has got a mandate to remain as the chief minister for a full five-year term, Shivakumar has indicated that he was promised that he will be elevated after two-and-half years on a rotational basis.
The issue of change of leadership had been going on for the past two months but intensified after November 20 when the Congress government completed 2.5 years.
The Congress high command on Friday intervened and asked the two leaders to resolve the issue by talking to each other.
Accordingly, Siddaramaiah had invited his deputy to come home for a breakfast meeting.
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Congress using hijab issue to pacify minority anger, alleges Karnataka LoP R Ashoka
Bengaluru: Leader of Opposition in the Assembly R. Ashoka has accused the Congress government of using the hijab issue to placate what he described as discontent among minority voters after the Davanagere by-election.
In a post on X on Wednesday, Ashoka alleged that the state government, instead of addressing issues such as price rise, corruption, farmers’ distress and law and order, was attempting to retain its minority vote base by reviving the hijab issue.
Referring to the 2022 dress code introduced by the BJP government, which prohibited hijab in schools and colleges, Ashoka said the Karnataka High Court had upheld the policy and emphasised the importance of discipline in educational institutions.
He questioned the Congress government’s move to revisit the issue and asked whether setting aside the court-backed policy to benefit one community could be described as secularism.
Ashoka further alleged that while the government was willing to permit hijab, it continued to prohibit saffron shawls.
He accused the government of dividing students on religious lines rather than treating schools and colleges as spaces of equality.
Drawing a comparison with Mamata Banerjee’s government in West Bengal, Ashoka claimed that excessive appeasement politics had harmed the state and warned that the Congress in Karnataka could face a similar political response.
He said voters in Karnataka would teach the Congress a lesson for what he termed “vote-bank politics” and for compromising constitutional and judicial principles.
