Kumaraswamy asserts that he is not under pressure from Congress
Bengaluru, Jan 9: Karnataka Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy Thursday rubbished media reports that he was working under pressure and alleged interference from coalition partner Congress, terming them "speculative" and imaginary".
Reiterating that the Congress-JD(S) coalition government would complete its five-year term amid repeated speculation about its longevity, he said "let there be no disbelief in this regard.
"What should I say about speculative news that has come in the media? They are imaginary it has been created," Kumaraswamy told reporters.
"It is said that I'm working and running this administration in a stifling atmosphere. It is a creation of of some sections of the media.
The discussions that took place in our legislature party meeting is different. I don't know how to react to such speculative news," he said.
According to reports, Kumaraswamy had told party legislators at a recent meeting that he was working under pressure.
He had reportedly told them that he was functioning like a clerk and accused the Congress of interference.
Expressing confidence that the coalition government would complete its five-year term"smoothly", Kumaraswamy said, "let there be no disbelief in this regard."
Reacting to media reports that the Committee on New Education Policy had, in its recommendations, suggested making Hindi compulsory till class VIII, he said "at the time we go for elections, any decision by the union government at this last stage will not have any value. That's my opinion."
Not wishing to make any comments about the proposed controversial steel flyover in Bengaluru,which he had objected to while in the opposition, Kumaraswamy said easing out the problems of the city's citizens was his "top priority".
The government had on January 1 decided to review and take up a multi-billion steel bridge project here, which it had scrapped owing to massive public protests in the city.
"For me, the steel bridge or any other kind of infrastructure work is not important. Easing out the problems of Bangaluru city citizens is my top priority," he added.
Earlier, Congress state campaign committee chief H K Patil had downplayed Kumaraswamy's reported comments about working under pressure and alleged interference from Congress, saying that any issue could be discussed with the party leadership and solved.
He had reiterated his party's stand that both alliance partners would face the Lok Sabha polls together and would even go in for joint campaigning, wherever necessary.
"I have seen media reports about Kumaraswamy's comments, but want to say that elected members may be putting pressure on the chief minister about development and constituency related works. He should not feel that we are putting pressure (on him)," Patil had told reporters.
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Jos Buttler hopes short break from cricket will help him in IPL 2026
London (PTI): England batting mainstay Jos Buttler has said that spending time away from cricket after a disappointing T20 World Cup campaign should put him in good stead as he looks for a fresh start with the Gujarat Titans in the Indian Premier League beginning later this month.
Former England captain Buttler continued to receive the team's backing even as his runs dried up during the T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka, a lean patch for one of the country's most prominent white-ball batters.
Buttler managed just 87 runs across eight matches at an average of 10.87, with a forgettable strike rate of 116, while opening the batting for England at the World Cup. England bowed out of the tournament after losing to India in a high-scoring semifinal in Mumbai.
The 35-year-old hopes that the break he took from the game since that semifinal on March 5 should help him heading into the IPL starting on March 28.
"I couldn't have been further away from cricket, which for me at the time was just perfect. It's exactly what I needed," Buttler said on 'For the Love of Cricket' podcast.
"Obviously, the tournament didn't go personally how I'd have liked it to go. I just felt like I needed some space (away) from cricket and not to think about the game, and I could not have been further away from cricket where I was in that week," he said.
IPL 2022 winners Gujarat Titans will get their campaign underway on March 31 in an away game against Punjab Kings.
Buttler said the break was energising, which also gave him time to reflect.
"It was really refreshing -- I really enjoyed it -- a complete sort of release," he said.
"Slowly but surely, I'd say at the start of this week, (I am) just starting to reflect a bit and have a few thoughts about what's important to me and my cricket, and why it probably didn't go quite as I would've liked."
Buttler said his lack of runs in the T20 World Cup was not due to lack of effort, since in the lead-up to the semifinal against India he had spent the longest possible time in the nets trying to bat himself back into form. But what had followed was another scratchy 25 runs off 17 balls.
"There's elements (to what went wrong) that I actually don't really know exactly. For all your best intentions and hard work and efforts to perform, it just didn't work, and sometimes that's okay as well. That's something I've had to realise. It wasn't for a lack of effort; it just didn't quite happen,” he said.
