Siddaramaiah denies power struggle over chief minister chair

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Sunday (January 11) dismissed speculations over a fight for the top administrative chair and accused the media of creating the alleged tug of war between him and his deputy, D K Shivakumar. He also said he would meet state Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot to explain the recently passed Hate Speech Bill, even as the Opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) plans to urge the latter not to give it his assent.

Speaking to reporters in Mangaluru, where he reached on Saturday (January 10) for some events, the veteran Congress leader said, "There is no fight, you (media) create it. Where is the fight? Unnecessarily, you ask such questions."

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Siddaramaiah, who recently eclipsed his predecessor Devaraj Urs to become Karnataka's longest-serving chief minister, was responding to a question on a social media post by the BJP claiming that the tussle over the chair would resume in the ruling party after the Sankranti festival.

Speculations over a possible change of chief minister gained traction after the government reached the halfway mark of its five-year term (2023-28) on November 20 last year.

It was fuelled by a "power-sharing" pact between Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar in 2023. However, the CM has asserted on several occasions in recent times that he would continue his full term. He also put the ball in the party high command's court, saying it would take the final call.

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Last month, Shivakumar also told the media that there were no issues to resolve and blamed the media for creating them.

Hate Speech Bill

Responding to a question on the BJP planning to meet the state governor over the Hate Speech bill, the CM said, "The bill was passed by the legislature. The governor has neither rejected it nor sent it back, nor has he given his assent to it. Let's see, whenever he calls, I will go and explain to him (Governor)."

The Lok Bhavan (the Governor's House) on Friday (January 9) in a statement had said that the Karnataka Hate Speech and Hate Crimes (Prevention) Bill was "under consideration".

The Bill proposes a jail term of one year, extendable up to seven years, with a fine of Rs 50,000 for a hate crime. For repeated offences, the maximum imprisonment will be seven years, with a fine of Rs 1 lakh.

On Ballari clashes

Reacting to the BJP's proposed 'padayatre' (foot march) from Ballari to Bengaluru in connection with recent clashes in Ballari that led to the death of a person, the CM said, "Let them do it, who said they should not."

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"We (Congress) have launched padayatra in the past for a specific reason, the then Lokayukta Santosh Hegde had given a report saying that Ballari has been converted into the 'Republic of Ballari' and illegal mining is being done. When I (as Leader of Opposition) discussed in the Assembly, the Reddy brothers (then Minister G Janardhan Reddy and brothers) and Yediyurappa (then CM) vehemently objected, so I had led a padayatra (to Ballari)," he said.

He was referring to the Congress's 320-kilometre padayatra in 2010 from Bengaluru to Ballari to expose illegal mining in the state, which, according to many in the party, laid the foundation for the party's win in the 2013 Assembly polls with a clear majority.

Questioning the BJP's move, Siddaramaiah alleged, "... the removal of the banner was an instigation. If the banner was not removed, where would have been the instigation? The banner was regarding the unveiling of the Maharshi Valmiki statue. What was the need to remove it?"

Claiming that the BJP was waiting for an opportunity to politicise the issue, he said, "Particularly Janardhana Reddy, his brothers, and Sriramuluru (Reddy's close confidant and former state minister) have lost hold in Ballari, Reddy's wife lost in Ballari, so they are doing it out of jealousy."

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Tension had prevailed in parts of Ballari on January 1 night after supporters of Ballari City Congress MLA Nara Bharath Reddy and Gangavati BJP MLA G Janardhana Reddy allegedly clashed over a banner installation issue. The situation turned violent with alleged stone-pelting and firing, leaving one person, a Congress worker, dead.

The incident reportedly began after supporters of Bharath Reddy allegedly installed a banner related to the Valmiki statue unveiling in front of Janardhana Reddy’s residence in Ballari.

(With agency inputs)