BENGALURU: Chief Minister Siddaramaiah lost his cool in the Assembly on Thursday when former CM and JD(S) leader H D Kumaraswamy taunted him in the Assembly saying the chief minister shook hands (with minister N Cheluvarayaswamy) and wryly smiled after speaking about former Prime Minister’s H D Deve Gowda’s family.
“The CM shook hands as if he had given a great reply and even gave a wry smile. I have observed everything. Nobody cares for all these, we have seen a lot of this. Such kind of politics is never good for anyone”, Kumaraswamy said.
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah immediately intervened and said, “Kumaraswamy, we are not afraid of you. If you don’t care, we too don’t care. If you care, we will also care. No one is afraid of you, who is scared of you? Because they (unidentified person) came, I shook hands with them, I am not connected to it. Why should I be mocked? If you don’t care, I won’t care about it much more than you”.
Kumaraswamy continued saying, “We are also like you. We didn’t come into politics because of you. Even I don’t care”. To this, Siddaramaiah questioned, “Who are you threatening? Go away if you don’t care! If he doesn’t care, will I be scared? I have seen many people like him”, he thundered.
The trigger for the showdown was apparently because the CM called Cheluvarayaswamy to his seat, reportedly to inquire about the Nagamangala bus conductor’s suicide attempt, and casually shook hands with his cabinet colleague.
Earlier, Kumaraswamy had targeted Agriculture Minister N Cheluvarayaswamy over the suicide attempt by KSRTC bus conductor Jagadish at the Nagamanagala bus stand over his transfer. The conductor is battling for life at a private hospital in Mysuru and Kumaraswamy had visited him earlier in the day. The JD(S) leader pointed out that an FIR had not been filed in the case and demanded the resignation of Cheluvarayaswamy.
Later, Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy told the House that the health condition of the bus conductor was improving and that the authorities are following up on his condition. “I have issued directions for action against officials if they are at fault. If there is any administrative or official lapse, an inquiry will be conducted. The conductor had not written any death note”, the minister said.
However, BJP and JD(S) members trooped into the well of the House demanding an investigation against minister Cheluvarayaswamy and registration of an FIR as they were unconvinced by Ramalinga Reddy’s reply.