Siddaramaiah & I have discussed, there is time for everything: Shivakumar amid leadership row
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Monday indicated that the leadership row involving himself and CM Siddaramaiah has been discussed by the two leaders in the presence of Congress high command, they have arrived at a decision and that there was time for everything
Time will answer everything, he said.
Shivakumar, who is also the state Congress President, asserted that he has the support of 140 ruling legislators, including CM Siddaramaiah.
His remarks came on his return from New Delhi, where he had been camping for the last couple of days.
"I go (to Delhi) for politics and government work. There are reports in the newspapers and TV that I did not get an appointment with Rahul Gandhi and others. Can I keep showing you as to whom I met. One day you (media) show pictures of me sitting together and having discussion (with Congress leaders Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge), then there are reports that I couldn't meet anyone," Shivakumar said in response to a question on his visit to the national capital and meeting with Congress high command.
Speaking to reporters here, he said, "not wanting to speak about things, I'm quiet. But one thing is sure, time will answer everything. Other than that I will not discuss anything."
To a question on his brother and former Congress MP D K Suresh's recent statement that the high command will give good news, the Deputy CM said, "my brother is saying, also party workers and you (media) are saying it."
Responding to a question on his supporters having "huge" expectations, he said, "140 people (Congress and supporting MLAs) are in support of me, including the Chief Minister."
"Do you know what the Chief Minister and I have discussed? We know what we have discussed in front of Rahul Gandhi and the high command, and what we have decided together. Can I discuss it publicly before the media. I will not discuss, there is time for everything and time will answer everything."
Asked about discussions that "good news" is expected in April, Shivakumar said, "let's see, why discuss it now."
The leadership tussle within the ruling party has intensified amid speculation about a possible change of chief minister after the Congress government completed the halfway mark of its five-year term on November 20, 2025.
The speculation has been fuelled by the reported "power-sharing" arrangement between Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar at the time of government formation in 2023.
Top Congress leader Rahul Gandhi had a brief conversation with Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar last week at Mysuru airport while transiting to New Delhi from Tamil Nadu, which had sparked off speculations amid the leadership tussle.
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Hindu Ekta Sammelanams in Kerala mask sangh outreach through temple gatherings
Kochi: Temple premises in several parts of Kerala have been increasingly organizing programs calling for Hindu unity as the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh celebrates its centenary year with outreach events across the country.
The News Minute reported that one such programme held on February 28 near Edappally in Kochi began with traditional performances, including chenda melam and a Thiruvathira dance at the Anjumana Devi temple ground, and transitioned into a “Hindu Ekta Sammelanam”. Organisers were quoted as saying that the objective of the event was “to bring together members of different Hindu communities by transcending caste, regional and linguistic differences.”
The RSS is celebrating its centenary year by nationwide series of conferences. These began on October 2, 2025. Reports indicate that more than one lakh such meetings are planned across India in 2026, with over 1,000 events scheduled in Kerala between February and March.
At the Edappally programme representatives of the Hindu Aikya Vedi and other spiritual leaders expressed their thoughts. Hindu Aikya Vedi state president R V Babu said the events are organised to strengthen a sense of unity among Hindus and encourage people to move beyond caste divisions.
Participants at the gathering included members of various organisations such as the Nair Service Society, Sree Narayana Dharma Paripalana Yogam and representatives of other community groups. Some attendees said they viewed the events primarily as religious or cultural programmes organised around temples in their localities.
Criticizing the gatherings, leaders of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) said that temple premises are being used to advance a political agenda under the cover of religious and cultural programs. The party’s youth wing, the Democratic Youth Federation of India, has opposed some of the events at the local level, arguing that religious spaces should not become platforms for ideological mobilisation.
Some attendees clarified that they participated viewing the programmes as temple-based community events rather than political meetings. Others acknowledged that discussions during the sessions included references to electoral participation and broader social themes.
Similar objections were raised in Kozhikode district, where local CPI(M) workers opposed a gathering linked to a temple committee. He argued that religious spaces should not be used for political mobilization, when Kerala is expected to go to Assembly polls in 2026.
