Bengaluru(PTI): Congress MP D K Suresh on Thursday expressed concern over the personality cult in the party at the preparatory meet for senior leader Siddaramaiah's 75th birthday bash, and cautioned that it should not send out a "wrong message" ahead of Assembly polls next year.
He sought to assert that the bash is not an event to project someone or to give leadership to someone.
Suresh is the brother of Karnataka Congress president D K Shivakumar, who is a Chief Ministerial aspirant along with Siddaramaiah, in the event of the party coming to power.
"This (birthday bash) is seen as one to project Siddaramaiah or personality cult, not sure if Siddaramaiah himself wants this, but some people continue to do it," Suresh said.
Addressing a gathering of Congress leaders and workers at the preparatory meet, he said, "It's an election year, so we must see to it that the celebration does not damage the party, especially by sending out a wrong message to our workers and society," he said.
Siddaramaiah's supporters and well-wishers, including several senior Congress leaders and former ministers, are organising a massive convention at Davangere on August 3, which is also being seen as a show of strength by the former Chief Minister's camp as he turns 75. Party's national leader Rahul Gandhi is expected to attend.
Other than projecting Siddaramaiah and his contributions, the bash is also being seen as an attempt by his camp to send a message to both the high command and his detractors within the party, ahead of polls, while consolidating his 'AHINDA' vote base.
AHINDA is a Kannada acronym that stands for 'Alpasankhyataru' (minorities), 'Hindulidavaru' (Backward Classes) and 'Dalitaru' (Dalits).
Suresh said that in his opinion it would be appropriate to have Siddaramaiah's birthday bash together with celebrations to mark 75 years of India's Independence, adding that this is not an event to project someone or to confer leadership on someone.
"Whether we like it or not, the media is projecting this event as 'Siddaramotsava', so denying it will not benefit, we have to accept it...we should proudly say we are celebrating our leader's birthday," he added.
Siddaramaiah has been repeatedly trying to correct that the birthday is not 'Siddaramotsava', and it is 'Siddaramaiah-75 Amrut Mahotsava'.
Earlier in the day, Shivakumar said he doesn't want anyone to worship him, but to worship the party and the country.
The KPCC chief was responding to a question on the demand by some of his supporters to celebrate "Shivakumarotsava" to observe his birthday, on the lines of the one planned for Siddaramaiah.
"I don't want any 'utsava' for me, I want a party's 'utsava'," he said.
Both Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar have been nursing chief ministerial ambitions and are also working towards consolidating their clout within the State Congress, ahead of the polls next year.
There have been several instances of open display of one-upmanship between the two leaders in the past.
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Bengaluru, Jan 12: Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Sunday said that he has asked the Vokkaliga Sangha office-bearers to postpone the meeting on the caste census.
He also warned them to stop squabbling or else he would appoint an administrator in the Sangha.
"A team of our new office-bearers came to meet me. They all came together after reconciliation. I have warned them that if the squabbling continues then I will appoint an administrator in the Sangha. They have agreed that they will work together," Shivakumar said.
Asked whether he held a meeting with the Sangha office-bearers, the Deputy CM said he neither conducted any meeting nor felt the need for it.
"The Sangha office-bearers had decided to hold a meeting regarding the caste census. I have told them to postpone the meeting as it would create unnecessary confusion. I also told them that I would talk to the seer of Adi Chunchanagiri Math Nirmananandanatha Swami about it," he told reporters here.
Vokkaliga is one of the major dominant communities of agrarians in Karnataka which Shivakumar belongs to.
The Chairperson of the Commission for Backward Classes, K Jayaprakash Hegde, submitted the socio-economic and education survey report, commonly known as the caste census report, to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on February 29, 2024.
It has triggered a debate among various backward communities as some have opposed it.
State Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister H K Patil said on January 2 during the cabinet briefing that the cabinet would discuss the caste census in its next meeting.
Asked about Legislative Council Chairman Basavaraj Horatti’s letter to the Home Minister about transferring the case pertaining to C T Ravi, the Deputy CM said the Home Minister would respond to it.
Ravi, a BJP MLC, is accused of using foul words against Minister for Woman and Child Welfare Laxmi Hebbalkar on the last day of the Legislative Council session in Belagavi on December 19, 2024.
A case has been registered against Ravi in this regard.