Party high command to decide on demand for three Deputy CMs in Karnataka: D K Shivakumar
Bengaluru: With Karnataka Cooperation Minister K N Rajanna batting for having three deputy chief ministers in the state, state Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar said only the party high command can take a call on it.
Rajanna, who has been insisting on having three deputy chief ministers in Karnataka instead of just one, reiterated on Saturday that his demand is not something which has been fed to him by someone else.
''I said this keeping in mind that making three DCMs will help in the Lok Sabha elections. It's not so that it (creation of three DCMs) will happen soon after my statement. I have only made a request to the party high command and brought it to their notice. They are the ones who take the final decision,'' Rajanna told reporters.
Pointing out that there are more than one deputy chief ministers in Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan where the BJP came to power in the recent Assembly elections, Rajanna said it will be appropriate if there are three DCMs in Karnataka too.
ALSO READ: Karnataka Minister KN Rajanna advocates appointment of three Deputy Chief Ministers
Reacting to Rajanna's 'suggestion,'' the lone DCM of the state Shivakumar said, ''Only the high command can answer such questions. I cannot answer it. That is not the issue to be discussed. Everyone has to work together to win the parliamentary election. That’s it.” Karnataka Home Minister Dr G Parameshwara too said it was only Rajanna’s personal view and not of the party.
''People express their personal views. Having three DCMs in the state could be good from Rajanna's point of view but we don't know what the High Command thinks,'' the Home Minister said.
Rajanna got a supporter in Social Welfare Minister H C Mahadevappa, who found nothing wrong in the demand.
''Rajanna is a senior leader. From political view point, he must have found merits in having multiple DCMs. It is left to the party high command whether to take his views into consideration,'' Mahadevappa said.
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Sonam Wangchuk justifies Ladakh agitation, says will join talks with Centre if needed
Kargil (PTI): Activist Sonam Wangchuk on Sunday defended the agitation for statehood and safeguards under the Sixth Schedule for Ladakh, and said he would not back out from joining talks with the government if the need for it arises.
Addressing a press conference, Wangchuk, who was released on March 14 after nearly six months of detention under the National Security Act, called for "open-minded and sincere" negotiations and striking a middle path.
He also expressed hope that the ongoing protests would lead to a positive and amicable solution.
"The demand for safeguards under the Sixth Schedule and statehood is based on democratic rights entailed in the Constitution and is completely legitimate. I have always maintained that for the last 5-6 years, we have been engaged in discussions with the government on these issues, yet no solution has emerged. This is because the other side seems to have adopted a rigid stance," Wangchuk told reporters here.
He stressed that the negotiations should be held with an open mind, in all sincerity.
"Neither side should insist 'we alone will win and you will lose'. What is needed is a middle path, a win-win approach. This is what I personally believe and have conveyed to many people, including the (agitating) leaders: the negotiations should move forward gradually," he said.
Wangchuk said they were ready to adopt such an approach, but it should not be one-sided.
He said the protesters have conveyed this thinking to fair-minded people across the country, and cautioned that if the upcoming talks once again result in their concerns being overlooked and only the other side's position prevails, it would prompt questions on why a more accommodative approach -- like that adopted by Ladakh's leaders -- is not being followed.
The government has not yet announced the date for the next round of talks.
The Ladakh-based activist expressed hope that the ongoing protests would lead to a positive and amicable resolution, enabling them to move forward and partake in the country's progress and nation-building.
Asked about charges under the National Security Act (NSA) that were levelled against him, he said, "If a person like me, who has always worked for the country -- whether in education, environment, or improving facilities for the armed forces -- can face such allegations, then what might not be said about others, not just in Ladakh but elsewhere as well?"
The activist said he was disturbed by a video related to his arrest that he came across recently, questioning how such claims could be made, especially as the contents "appeared" to be backed by evidence.
"If the allegations are true, I did not deserve to be free. But if they are false, they must be clearly refuted," Wangchuk said, cautioning against making sweeping accusations about Ladakh, which has been a pillar of India's defence, especially Kargil, whose people have supported the armed forces in every war and made significant sacrifices in the 1999 Kargil War.
Making such allegations will only create distance among people, he said, adding, "If mistakes are being made, they should be corrected."
Referring to the Centre's order revoking NSA charges against him, he said it is clearly stated that this step is being taken to create a conducive environment, to build trust, and to enable meaningful dialogue.
"So, we are waiting for things to move in that direction," he said.
On the protesters' next course of action, he said the leadership will look into the issue, but it is hoped that the time ahead will not be for anything else but celebration.
"If there is any absolute need, we will discuss and decide what steps should be taken," he said.
On the possibility of him joining the team holding dialogue with the home ministry, Wangchuk said, "Whatever I do, I do it out of necessity. Where I am not needed, and others could do it, I always prefer that they should take the lead. But if there is a need, I will not back down."
VIDEO | Ladakh: Activist Sonam Wangchuk says, "... We need open-minded dialogue with Centre to find a win-win or middle path solution..."
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) April 5, 2026
(Full video available on PTI Videos - https://t.co/dv5TRAShcC) pic.twitter.com/BwWQGx66I1
