During his recent visit to Hassan, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah made harsh remarks against former Chief Minister HD Debe Gowda, declaring that “Debe Gowda’s era is over”.
According to PTI, the statement was made during Thursday’s Janakalyana Samavesha event, in which Mr. Siddaramaiah said that Janata Dal (secular) leaders have gained moral credibility by collaborating with communist forces. I blamed him for losing it.
Siddaramaiah targeted Gowda for his political strategy and recent comments on efforts to remove the Congress government in Karnataka. “By joining hands with communist forces, the party has lost the moral character of having the word ‘secular’ in its name,” Siddaramaiah said, according to the report. He recalled Deve Gowda’s speech during the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, in which Gowda declared that the Bharatiya Janata Party would not return to power and that if Narendra Modi became Prime Minister, he would leave the country. He emphasized that he had even made remarks that suggested secession.
In his speech, Siddaramaiah also questioned the political integrity of Deve Gowda and his son Coomaraswamy, Union Minister of Heavy Industries and Steel HD. He alleged that both had undermined the Bharatiya Janata Party leader BS Yediyurappa’s government in the past.
“Coomaraswamy became CM in 2006, but he betrayed Yediyurappa, leading to the collapse of the coalition government. He also became CM with our support in 2018, but was unable to protect the government.” said Siddaramaiah.
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“Who did you grow?”
Siddaramaiah launched a scathing attack on the local JD(S) supremo, accusing the former chief minister of not allowing others, including those from his own Vokkaliga community, to grow politically.
Listing the names of various Vokkaliga leaders who were once close to Gowda, he said, “Mr. Debe Gowda, tell me who did you develop…Gowda has always said that I had Siddaramaiah (in the Janata Dal government) (era) He said he made him the Minister of Finance. So he has grown as a leader. It would have been impossible for you to become CM if it wasn’t for me and Harappa (former RL Harappa minister)… Ramakrishna Hegde. I made you the CM instead.”
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(With PTI input)
