Cong infighting: Karnataka Minister warns MLC Hariprasad of consequences for targeting Siddaramaiah
Bengaluru: Congress infighting is continuing in Karnataka with Large and Medium Industries Minister M.B. Patil warning party MLC B.K. Hariprasad against targeting Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.
“Hariprasad is a senior party leader. He had been General Secretary of AICC, and a member of Rajya Sabha. He had also worked in the Legislative Council and he should not have made those statements. The national leaders will not sit quiet over them,” Patil said.
“Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, senior leaders Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, Randeep Singh Surjewala, and K.C. Venugopal are close to Hariprasad. In this background, he should have discussed all matters within the party forum. But, he had gone to the streets and this was not good. He will face consequences,” he added.
He also maintained that there is no internal strife in Congress.
Home Minister Dr G. Parameshwar has stated that the high command has taken note of the statements by Hariprasad.
“Those are his personal comments. He had made comments on me and I thank him for that. Everything will be discussed at the level of High Command,” he maintained.
Hariprasad had stated that Dalits and OBC leaders like Parameshwara are snubbed by Siddaramaiah. He is holding public events one after the other and launching an offensive against CM Siddaramaiah. Hariprasad was a cabinet post aspirant but sources explain that Siddaramaiah ensured he was not included.
Hariprasad belongs to DyCM D.K. Shivakumar camp, according to party sources.
Meanwhile, sources said that Kharge spoke to Hariprasad and asked him to wait for an appropriate time for his demands to be fulfilled. He had spoken to him about issuing public statements against Siddaramaiah and challenging the Congress government.
