I'm in JD(S) both technically and mentally; still Karnataka state president: Ibrahim
Bengaluru (PTI): Ousted Karnataka JD(S) president C M Ibrahim on Sunday asserted that he is in Janata Dal (Secular) both "technically and mentally", and still heads the party in the state, as his removal from the post was wrong.
Appealing JD(S) national president H D Deve Gowda, and his son and former Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy to reconsider their decision on joining hands with the BJP, he also stated that he will decide on the future course of action, including on legal fight against his removal as state president, after October 26.
Following Ibrahim's rebellion -- against the JD(S)' decision on alliance with the BJP -- that had embarrassed the party, Gowda on Thursday had dissolved the party's Karnataka unit, essentially removing the former as the state president, and had appointed Kumaraswamy as "ad-hoc president".
"Deve Gowda is a senior leader. I request him once again through you (media) with folded hands to reconsider the decision on alliance with BJP. Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Rajasthan (party units) are against the decision to go with the BJP," Ibrahim said.
Speaking to reporters here, he urged Gowda to stand by the ideology which the party had been following all along.
Stating that he is visiting Udaipur and will be travelling to Mumbai later this week to meet JD(S) party leaders there, Ibrahim said, "Deve Gowda knows how he was made the Prime Minister. He knows how I built Janata Dal in 1995. It is not new to him, he knows, but what to do there is pressure from Kumaraswamy on him."
Also, making a similar request to Kumaraswamy, he said, "He is like a brother... Please reconsider going with BJP, accept the ideologies of Babasaheb Ambedkar, Basavanna and Rashtra Kavi -- Puttappa (Kuvempu)."
"We have respect for Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah. We have nothing against them personally, but ideologically we are on a different path," he added.
Ibrahim, defying the party leadership, had recently declared that the JD(S) would not join the BJP-led NDA, and had even gone to the extent of describing his side of the party as the "original JD(S)".
The JD(S) last month had decided to ally with the BJP following a meeting of its leader Kumaraswamy with Home Minister Amit Shah and BJP national president J P Nadda in New Delhi.
Claiming that many JD(S) district presidents and MLAs are in contact with him, Ibrahim said, he has still not called them for a meeting, as the situation has not vitiated yet, and his intention is to not to vitiate.
"I have told them to remain wherever they are and let's talk when the time comes...Parliament elections are still in March-April," he said.
Stating that he is still technically and mentally in JD(S), Ibrahim said that he is still the party's state president.
"I can't be removed, they (Gowda and Kumaraswamy) know it. They can't dissolve the party state unit, they know it. What they have done is wrong, but I still hope that he will rectify things, and go according to our ideology," he said.
Pointing out that he was brought to the party, making him resign as Congress MLC, Ibrahim asked, "After that, if Gowda and Kumaraswamy decide to go with the BJP, won't it pain me? But still, swallowing that pain, I'm requesting them to reconsider."
The party state unit cannot be dissolved, he said, and asked, "Is it like breaking an egg and making an omelette?"
"It is an elected body of a party registered with the Election Commission. We have to run the party in accordance with rules and not as per one's wish. As state president, I constituted the core committee and appointed office-bearers."
Further noting that the party state president has the power to take decisions concerning the state in JD(S), he said, "If the party state president goes against the party constitution, notice has to be given by two-thirds of members. A meeting has to be called and a no confidence motion has to be brought to remove him or her."
About the legal fight, he had warned, and his next course of action, Ibrahim said wait, pointing at meetings of party units in Kerala and Patna.
"Let's see after October 26. I will see till Vijayadashami, if they make any decision. I have trust in Deve Gowda, but Kumaraswamy has to decide. I don't trust him."
Asked whether he has got any phone calls from Congress, especially from his old friend and Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Ibrahim said, "I'm getting calls from everywhere, let's see....but, neither Siddaramaiah has called me, nor I have called him."
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Kerala polls: Vijayan, Revanth Reddy trade barbs as campaigning ends
Kannur (Kerala)/Hyderabad (PTI): A war of words between Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and his Telangana counterpart Revanth Reddy turned acrimonious on Tuesday, the final day of campaigning for the April 9 Assembly polls.
The two leaders sparred on the virtual world as well, exchanging letters on their respective social media handles.
The escalation came after Vijayan, responding to Reddy's earlier remarks, used Malayalam expressions considered nearly derogatory, signalling strong disapproval of the Telangana CM's comments.
Reddy, campaigning for the UDF in Kollam district, hit back swiftly, likening Vijayan to PM Narendra Modi.
He said he would take any personal remarks from the senior leader as a "blessing" considering his age, but objected to what he described as insults directed at the people of Kerala. "But you cannot abuse our Kerala people," he said, hours before campaigning drew to a close.
The controversy began after Reddy had said "nee po mone Vijaya" by invoking a famous dialogue from superstar Mohanlal's blockbuster movie "Narasimham" while referring to Vijayan on April 1 during a UDF campaign roadshow in Nemom constituency.
Earlier in the day, while reacting to Reddy's earlier remarks, Vijayan said a CM must maintain basic standards of conduct and questioned whether such dignity was being followed.
In his response to a query, Vijayan used Malayalam words that were seen as nearly derogatory for Reddy, signalling his strong disapproval of the remarks made against him.
Sharply reacting to the CM's objectionable remarks, Congress leader V D Satheesan said Vijayan appeared to have "completely lost composure" and warned that any further deterioration in his conduct would have brought "greater embarrassment" to the state.
After the critical remarks during the press meet, Vijayan wrote on his 'X' handle that political differences are natural, but expressing strong disagreement through personally insulting remarks is an attitude that he rejects. Reddy's statements lacked factual backing.
In a detailed letter attached with the 'X' post addressing the Telangana CM, Vijayan said the experience of the people of Kerala was "vastly different" from what Reddy had portrayed.
He clarified that he did not intend to engage in a debate over the performance of the Telangana government, stating that it was for the people of Telangana and political parties there to assess their government.
Referring to Reddy's comments, Vijayan said the LDF government has been consistently publishing progress reports over the past 10 years on the implementation of its election promises, underlining its commitment to continuous accountability.
He also rejected the allegation of "selective appropriation" of Kerala's achievements, including its top ranking in the NITI Aayog SDG Index, and said such criticism was misplaced.
Dismissing claims of industrial stagnation, Vijayan said Kerala has made significant strides in the startup ecosystem and ease of doing business, adding that these achievements have been widely acknowledged.
He also alleged that key infrastructure projects in Kerala, including the Kochi Metro and Vizhinjam Port, faced delays under previous Congress-led governments at the Centre, while long-pending promises such as a railway coach factory remained unfulfilled.
Vijayan further accused the BJP-led Union government of discrimination against Kerala and said the state has been actively resisting what he described as "anti-federal and undemocratic" policies through legal and political means, including approaching the Supreme Court.
He also rejected Reddy's criticism that the LDF was not vocal enough against the BJP, asserting that Kerala has been at the forefront of defending constitutional values.
Concluding his letter, Vijayan reiterated the state government's commitment to building a "Nava Keralam" and moving forward as a model for others.
On April 1, while addressing party workers in Nemom, Reddy used the popular Malayalam film dialogue "Nee po mone Vijaya". He adapted it to target Vijayan, saying "Nee po mone Vijaya".
Reddy went further, claiming that Vijayan's "time is over" and that his "expiry date has passed".
Responding to these allegations, Vijayan had said that the Telangana CM was "misinformed" and accused him of "ridiculing" Kerala and its people while trying to hide the weaknesses of his own state.
In a later response, Reddy defended his remarks and said that many of the statistics cited by Vijayan were taken from the NITI Aayog SDG Index 2023 24, arguing that the data was already outdated.
Reddy in his letter questioned the veteran Marxist leader's claim that Kerala would become the first state to completely eradicate extreme poverty by late 2025 had been achieved. Further, he chooses to conduct himself respectfully and gracefully in his criticism of the Kerala government's performance, whereas Vijayan opted to use language of poor taste.
Reddy, in his letter on X, said that while he respects NITI Aayog's corruption rankings, he wants to know why the infamous gold smuggling case, linked to individuals connected to the CMO, remains unresolved, and why 4.5 kg of gold allegedly misappropriated from the Sabarimala Ayyappa Temple has not been accounted for.
