Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah rejects party colleague's charge that Congress sidelined Lingayats
Siddaramaiah on Sunday rejected allegations hurled by his own party leader, the 92-year old Shamnur Shivashankarappa that the Congress regime had neglected the interests of Lingayats in general, and the community officials in particular.
Shivashankarappa, who represents Davanagere South in the Assembly, is also the president of the All India Veerashaiva Mahasabha. He also batted for the CM's post for a leader from the community, barely days after AICC issued a gag order to partymen not to air opinions on these posts in public.
Veerashaiva-Lingayats are also Karnataka's largest and politically influential community, represented in the assembly by former BJP CMs BS Yediyurappa and Basavaraj Bommai, among others.
While the veteran leader's comments have left the Congress on the defensive, the BJP has jumped at the opportunity, seeking to amplify Shivashankarappa's sentiments and capitalise on them ahead of the upcoming Lok Sabha polls.
Siddaramaiah did not agree with the perception of his party colleague, insisting that his government had treated everyone equally.
“Ours is a secular government, which functions above caste lines. All our programmes including Anna Bhagya, Shakti, Gruha Jyothi and Gruha Lakshmi reach members of all communities," the CM told the media in Bengaluru.
Other senior Congress leaders, Dy CM DK Shivakumar and ministers G Parameshwara and Eshwar Khandre, however, were cautious in their reaction.
