Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) spokesperson H.A. Venkatesh has taken serious exception to former Minister and JD(S) leader G.T. Deve Gowda’s statement that the Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge lacks strength to become the country’s Prime Minister.
Speaking to reporters in Mysuru on Friday, Mr. Venkatesh said Mr. Gowda’s statement was “immature”. Reminding Mr. Gowda that he too was about the join the Congress party, the KPCC spokesperson said the JD(S) leader does not have any moral right to criticise either Mr Kharge or Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.
Claiming that Mr. Kharge was very much eligible for the post of Prime Minister or even the President of the country, Mr. Venkatesh said the Dalit leader from Karnataka had a blemish-less political career. Mr. Gowda should have been proud that such a politician from Karnataka was in national politics.
Describing Mr. Kharge as a “rare leader from the oppressed classes”, who has seen poverty, Mr. Venkatesh said Mr. Gowda would not have made such an “irresponsible” statement had he experienced poverty and oppression.
When his attention was drawn to Mr. Siddaramaiah proposing Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s name for the post of Prime Minister, Mr. Venkatesh said Mr. Siddaramaiah never opposed Mr Kharge as Prime Minister.
With regard Mr Gowda’s statement that Mr. Siddaramaiah had made no contribution to Mysuru, the KPCC spokesperson dared Mr. Gowda to come for a public debate along with the BJP to discuss on the contributions to Mysuru by former Chief Ministers H.D. Kumaraswamy and B.S. Yediyurappa vis a vis the contributions by Mr. Siddaramaiah.
The Jayadeva Hospital building on KRS road, Maharani’s college building near Paduvarahalli and a host of other developments speak for themselves about Mr Siddaramaiah’s contributions, he said.
Mr Venkatesh also accused the BJP of taking up flimsy non-issues like the arrest of an accused person based on court’s directions to divert public attention.
“Old cases have been reopened based on the court’s directions. What is the meaning in BJP leaders going to police stations and asking the police to arrest them? How can the police arrest them?”, he questioned while accusing the BJP of trying to disturb harmony by taking up only religious and sentimental issues.
“Even we are Rama devotees. But, will chanting Rama’s name help fill the stomachs of poor, backward classes and Dalits?,” he said while claiming that poverty and unemployment had increased during the regime of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
