HUBBALLI: Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Tuesday ruled out any internal revolt among ministers and said that there will be a legislature party meeting on Thursday.
Speaking at the Hubballi airport, Siddaramaiah said, “It has been only two months since the formation of the government. Minor upsets are normal. However, we are not upset enough to complain”. He clarified that he had not received any complaints from MLAs.
On the legislature party meeting, which has been scheduled for Thursday, the CM said, “MLAs are demanding to call the meeting. It was supposed to be held last week. However, it had to be postponed due to the arrival of former AICC president Rahul Gandhi. I have called a legislature party meeting on Thursday”.
Siddaramaiah also rubbished claims allegedly made by Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar about a conspiracy being hatched in Singapore to destabilize the government. When questioned about his deputy’s statement, he said, “Ask this question to D K Shivakumar”.
The reports of these “minor upsets” come amid the surfacing of an alleged video of senior Congress leader and MLC B K Hariprasad expressing outrage against Chief Minister Siddaramaiah. The video had gone viral on social media platforms.
In the purported video, Hariprasad could be heard saying, “I know how to make someone a CM and how to bring him down. I do not beg from anyone. Becoming a minister is a different question. Siddaramaiah belongs to the backward class. We gave support in 2013 because we wanted everyone to remain united”.
Hariprasad also alleged that politically, the Billava and Ediga communities were not able to progress and expressed his displeasure that they were falling victim to someone’s conspiracies. While reacting to the viral video on Saturday, Hariprasad said that he wouldn’t take back his words and that he accepts what he had said.
“I will not take back a word that I have said. I will be bound by what I have said. It is not my word if I have not said it. Even so, I will be bound by my word if I have said it”, he said. (ANI)