Deputy CM D K Shivakumar dares H D Kumaraswamy for public debate

Bengaluru: Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Tuesday urged his longtime rival and Union Minister H D Kumaraswamy to stop making “hit-and-run” style accusations and challenged him to a public debate.

“Kumaraswamy is doing ‘hit and run’ on me. This needs to end. Let the media facilitate an open debate; I am ready to take him on publicly,” Shivakumar told reporters.

‘Conspiracy’

Responding to Kumaraswamy’s recent claim that Shivakumar may go to jail soon, the deputy chief minister said, “Kumaraswamy has been conspiring for a long time to send
me to jail. He is continuing the same rant now. I will respond to him after the festival.”

Both Shivakumar and Kumaraswamy belong to the dominant and landowning Vokkaliga community, which is prominent in South Karnataka.

They are locked in an intense face-off to emerge as the undisputed leader of the community.