A tweet by Medical Education Minister K Sudhakar about leadership which said - “I believe that Leadership is not in position but in action” - set tongues wagging about differences between him and Revenue Minister R Ashoka over the latter being made in-charge of Bengaluru Covid issues, here Sunday.
Sudhakar tweeted an image of a short story with a caption, “Sunday thoughts: I am sharing a story which I read in my school days. Moral of the story: Let’s do our job with conscience and with a great sense of purpose. I believe that Leadership is not in position but in action.” This was interpreted as a dig at Ashoka, with Sudhakar adding to the list of ministers unhappy over revenue minister overseeing Covid affairs in the capital.
According to reports, both DyCM Ashwath Narayan - a doctor by profession, and Health and Family Welfare Minister B Sriramulu, were unhappy over the decision by the chief minister.
Responding to queries, Ashoka said that Covid-19 was a battle everyone was fighting. “At such a juncture everyone should work together. It is not important who is leading and who is not. Please do not consider me as a leader in the battle, as we need to work together. We are even taking opposition parties into confidence,” he said.
When asked about tweets by some leaders of his party, Ashoka refused to comment on the same.
This is among the growing list of instances where ministers in the government are seen squabbling for power, during the pandemic. Sriramulu has been sulking since the beginning of the pandemic, as he was allegedly sidelined in favour of Sudhakar - who is a recent addition to BJP. The differences between the two became pronounced enough for Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa to appoint Primary and Secondary Education Minister Suresh Kumar as Covid spokesperson of the government.