Enough is enough, says Karnataka HM on leadership debates in public

Taking strong exception to some Congress leaders openly issuing statements about the leadership issue, Home Minister
G Parameshwara on Friday said “enough is enough, this must stop.”

Speaking to reporters, he said: “The AICC President (Mallikarjun Kharge) has asked everyone to shut up. He cannot be more harsh than that. Even after that, it’s not correct for MLAs and leaders speaking about this. Enough is enough, this must stop.” 

He was reacting to Women and Child Development Minister Laxmi Hebbalkar’s MLC-brother Channaraj Hattiholi’s statement that Shivakumar should become the chief minister.

Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar’s visit to Delhi recently (he returned on Thursday), and the foreign “study tour” of Congress MLAs led by Animal Husbandry Minister and Piriyapatna MLA K Venkatesh have reignited debates on the power struggle between Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar. 

Noting that people’s expectations from the government were different, the home minister said the focus has to be on development.

“I hope the high command is observing this. When the situation comes, I will also speak to the party leadership about this,” Parameshwara said, adding that such a situation wasn’t new for the high command.

‘High command supreme’

Speaking about the issue elsewhere, Medium and Heavy Industries Minister M B Patil said: “High command is supreme. Whatever the high command decides will happen. Even the chief minister has said that he will
follow what the high command says.”