Did Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah Insult Shivakumar?

Mysuru, July 20 (NationPress) In response to the BJP's assertions that he had disrespected Deputy Chief Minister D. K. Shivakumar during the ‘Sadhana Samavesha’ rally in Mysuru, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah firmly stated that he has never insulted his fellow colleague Shivakumar.

“Those in the BJP who continuously propagate falsehoods about the government's accomplishments will never come forward for an open debate. But we are always ready for a discussion,” Siddaramaiah declared to the media on Sunday after attending a religious event at the Kabini reservoir.

Addressing the BJP’s claims regarding the alleged insult to Shivakumar, he explained: “It is customary to acknowledge those who are present at a function. Since Shivakumar was not there at that moment, I did not mention his name. Therefore, there is no question of insult here.”

The BJP appears to be searching for faults without justification. These remarks from the BJP aim to create discord between me and Deputy Chief Minister Shivakumar. The BJP is under the delusion that such attempts will yield political advantages, but that’s merely an illusion,” Siddaramaiah emphasized.

Siddaramaiah refrained from mentioning Shivakumar's name because he had departed for Bengaluru shortly after delivering his speech at the convention.

The Chief Minister noted that he does not mention the names of those who are absent from the stage when prompted by a leader to welcome Shivakumar while acknowledging others.

Shivakumar, who was also present with the Chief Minister on Sunday, confirmed that no such incident occurred.

In response to concerns raised about small traders in the state receiving tax notices due to digital payments, Siddaramaiah clarified: “GST is a law enacted by the central government, and the GST Council operates under its jurisdiction. State governments are not accountable for it. However, we will engage with the central government and discuss with the state’s Commercial Tax Department to arrive at a suitable decision.”

When asked by reporters if the BJP received an adequate response through the “Sadhana Samavesha” (achievement convention), he stated:

“Nearly 2 lakh individuals took part in the event held in Vijayanagara to celebrate our government completing two years in office. This reflects the public’s endorsement of the government.”

The BJP is merely disseminating falsehoods. They are now trying to mimic our guarantee schemes. Our government has already allocated Rs 52,000 crore for the implementation of these guarantee schemes,” he asserted.