Kumaraswamy said 42 farmers have committed suicide in Karnataka, and the Congress government is not bothered.
Published Jul 18, 2023 | 2:05 PM ⚊ Updated Jul 18, 2023 | 2:05 PM
HD Kumaraswamy. (Creative Commons)
Janata Dal (Secular) leader and former Karnataka chief minister HD Kumaraswamy has termed as “premature” talks of an electoral tie-up between his party and the BJP ahead of the Lok Sabha elections next year.
He also attacked the Congress over the meeting of Opposition leaders in Bengaluru, saying it was trying to project it as a great achievement, while the party-ruled government in Karnataka was not bothered about the suicide of farmers in the state.
On reports that the JD(S) may join hands with the BJP for the Parliamentary elections, he termed them as “premature”.
“(Lok Sabha) Elections are still 8-9 months away. Let’s see,” Kumaraswamy told reporters in Bengaluru.
Kumaraswamy said, “I have no invitation either from the (Congress-led) Mahagathbandhan, or even from the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) (for its meeting). We will see when the invitation comes. We will decide after discussions in our party.”
Former Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai, on Sunday, 16 July, hinted at talks regarding the JD(S) joining the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, a move that could upend a lot of political calculations in the state.
He said, “That is for the discussion between our leadership and JD(S) president HD Deve Gowda.”
Speaking to reporters in the Hubballi district of Karnataka, he said Kumaraswamy had expressed certain feelings, and that the discussions would continue in that direction.
“The future political developments will be based on the result of those discussions,” he added.
BJP national general secretary CT Ravi said politics was a “flowing water, not stagnant”, and that there were no permanent friends or enemies.
Stating that anyone could join the NDA or the BJP keeping in mind the national interest and development work that was taking place under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership, he said: “No discussions have taken place at our level regarding alliance with JD(S). If it has happened at a higher level, I’m not aware.”
Meanwhile, the Congress claimed that with this, its allegations of the JD(S) being the “B-team” of the BJP had now been proven.
The Congress also took a dig at the development, calling the regional outfit an “opportunistic party” that was ready to join hands with anyone for the sake of power.
On speculation in some quarters that he may be made the Leader of Opposition in the Karnataka Legislative Assembly by the BJP, Kumaraswamy said he has no information on the subject, adding that he was learning about such things from discussions happening in the media. He also ruled out that possibility.
“I would request the BJP leaders that there are many able leaders (in BJP), 66 of them have won. I would also request the BJP leaders in Delhi to appoint someone from BJP as the leader of the opposition without wasting time, which will be appropriate,” he said.
He said he would like to tell the BJP central leaders that there was neither any discussion with the JD(S) nor he had put forth any demand.
On what would be his stand if he is offered the position, Kumaraswamy said, “No. Our party has won 19 seats, and they have won 66 seats. There are able leaders there (in BJP), and there are former chief ministers and former ministers, who are capable of discharging their duties as Opposition leader. It will be appropriate if they are made the Opposition leader.”
He ruled out the possibility of switching to national politics.
“There is an indication of moving to national politics or becoming Union minister as some people are writing (in newspapers) that I am going to become a minister. Neither any ministerial position nor Opposition leader — I will work as an ordinary member of the Legislative Assembly, performing my duty towards raising my voice on behalf of the people of the state,” Kumaraswamy said.
Citing media reports, Kumaraswamy said 42 farmers have committed suicide in Karnataka, and the Congress government in the state is not worried about this. The government has not even appealed to the farmers not to take extreme steps, he alleged.
“Mahagathbandhan (grand alliance) and other programmes are not important to me. For the past two months in Karnataka, after the new government took over, 42 farmers have committed suicide,” Kumaraswamy told reporters.
The JD(S) second-in-command charged the Congress government with not being bothered about farmers’ suicide. In the Congress government’s budget presented recently, he said, on the pretext of (implementing) five “guarantees” (poll promises), the agriculture sector has been ignored, he added.
Kumaraswamy said the government has not given any “message” till now to instil confidence among farmers.
“I will call it a useless government because it has no financial discipline from the beginning itself. They are burdening people with loans. They are indulging in loot in the name of five guarantees,” he alleged.
Without referring to the Congress, the former chief minister said banners have been put up along the roads in Bengaluru for the meeting, and they are trying to project the event as if they have made some great achievement that no one else has done.
In the elections to the 224-member Assembly held in May, the Congress won 135 seats, the BJP 66 and the JD(S) headed by former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda 19.
Taking a dig at the grand show of the “Mahagathbandhan” meeting in Bengaluru, Kumaraswamy said, “The grand celebrations taking place hereafter inviting great leaders of India’ and putting up their big posters right from Airport to the Taj Westend Hotel. Are the celebrations taking place on the tombs of the farmers? This government should be ashamed of it.”
(With PTI inputs)
