Karnataka CM meets Siddaramaiah, says there is no rift between them

Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar met former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah at his 'Cauvery' residence in Bengaluru on Monday and extended Deepavali greetings.

Amid the alleged sting operation targeting former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, which has provided political ammunition to the opposition to suggest a rift in the ruling dispensation, Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar on Monday called on his predecessor at his Bengaluru residence on the occasion of Deepavali.

Even as the meeting triggered speculation, Mr. Shivakumar said he had met Mr. Siddaramaiah to extend festival greetings and discuss issues related to local body elections. “Mr. Siddaramaiah is our leader. I had to discuss various issues with him as elections to local bodies are fast approaching,” the Chief Minister said.

After the meeting, Mr. Shivakumar told mediapersons that there was no rift between him and Mr. Siddaramaiah.

“Some people are trying to create an atmosphere suggesting there is friction between us,” he said.

When asked whether there was any disagreement between him and Mr. Siddaramaiah, he said, “In politics, there must be detractors and opponents. Only when they are present can people like us engage in clean politics. Siddaramaiah is our leader. Some people, including mahaswamis, are portraying things differently in the media. We have already communicated to them whatever needs to be conveyed regarding these matters.” The Chief Minister made the remark sarcastically, without naming Union Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy, who has accused him of trying to tarnish Mr. Siddaramaiah’s image.

Later in the day, Mr. Shivakumar met Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president B.K. Hariprasad at the party office and held discussions for some time.

Interestingly, Mr. Hariprasad, a strong supporter of Mr. Siddaramaiah, had recently expressed doubts about whether the ongoing probe into the alleged sting operation against the former Chief Minister would be fair. He had opined that the probe should focus on the masterminds behind the alleged sting operation rather than merely trying to nail those who circulated the video.