K’taka Congress crisis: Siddaramaiah loses cool over pro-Shivakumar slogans
Bengaluru: Amid the ongoing leadership tussle, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Tuesday lost his cool over slogans raised in favour of Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar while addressing a protest rally condemning the scrapping of the MGNREGA Act by the Centre.
Supporters of Deputy Chief Minister Shivakumar began raising slogans in support of their leader when Chief Minister Siddaramaiah rose from his chair to address the gathering.
As Siddaramaiah approached the microphone, the supporters started chanting “DK, DK.” Irked by the sloganeering, the Chief Minister lost his temper and asked Shivakumar’s supporters to remain quiet.
When the sloganeering in favour of Shivakumar intensified further, Siddaramaiah, in a stern tone, asked who those shouting “DK, DK” were.
Even the programme convener appealed to the crowd to stop the sloganeering and remarked that they were well aware of who was raising the slogans.
The dramatic episode unfolded in the presence of AICC General Secretary and Karnataka in-charge Randeep Singh Surjewala.
A video of the incident has gone viral on social media, triggering a debate among supporters of both Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister Shivakumar.
However, the leaders also displayed bonhomie, as Chief Minister Siddaramaiah helped Deputy Chief Minister Shivakumar tie a special headgear worn by leaders on the occasion.
Former Congress leader Rohan Gupta, who has now joined the BJP, taunted the Congress, saying, “The Congress stage in Bengaluru once again turned into an arena of infighting over the chair of power.”
“Even before the Chief Minister began his speech, slogans in support of D.K. Shivakumar echoed across the venue, forcing Siddaramaiah to use the microphone to silence the crowd. This is not a people’s movement but a power struggle within the Congress, where neither the public nor development seems to matter.
“Due to this internal conflict, the Congress is steadily moving towards its own destruction,” he said.
The leadership tussle within the ruling Congress has intensified, with the high command expected to call Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister Shivakumar after the Shivarathri festival. Both leaders have maintained that they will abide by the high command’s decision.