Siddaramaiah takes dig at Vishwanath

Upset with frequent barb by JD(S) state unit present A H Vishwanath, former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Monday said Vishwanath should hold talks with Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy on a row over the sale of land to JSW in Bellary.

Senior Congress leader, who was here to meet the party top brass, said "Vishwanath should know the basic works as a state president of the party. Whatever the issues he wanted to raise, he should take up the matter with the CM."

He was reacting to Vishwanath's recent statement saying why Siddaramaiah was maintaining silence on controversy over the sale of land to JSW.

"Why should I react on the issue. I have suggested Heavy Industries Minister K J George to set up a panel to review the decision. Let Vishwanath question the sale of land with the CM not with me," Siddaramaiah, chairman of the Co-Ordination Committee said.

"On the delay in allocation of portfolios to newly inducted Ministers also Vishwanath should question the CM and not me," he said.

For the past few weeks, Vishwanath has been attacking Siddaramaiah on different issues. He also blamed Congress leader for not expanding the co-ordination committee to induct state unit presidents of both Congress and JD(S).

On suspension of R Roshan Baig, he said he was suspended as per the direction of the party high command and not him. He also refused to react on meeting between former Minister and senior Congress leader Ramalinga Reddy and Baig.