Siddaramaiah camp launches counter-attack on Hariprasad

Voices loyal to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah emerged Monday flaying senior Congress leader B K Hariprasad, who has raised a banner of revolt. 

Industries Minister M B Patil, Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao and senior MLA Basavaraj Rayareddi launched a tirade at Hariprasad. 

On Saturday, Hariprasad said those wearing a Hublot watch and khaki shorts underneath their dhoti are not socialists, a veiled but stinging reference to Siddaramaiah. 

“Hariprasad is an experienced leader. It’s not right for him to air his grouses publicly. He can speak with AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge, Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, Randeep Singh Surjewala, K C Venugopal...he has contacts. He can sort it out within the four walls. It’s not appropriate for him to speak like that in public. It’s not good for the party, government and him,” Patil told reporters. 

Patil went further to say that nobody should cross the line. “The party will view this seriously. Irrespective of seniority, everyone has a lakshman rekha that shouldn’t be crossed,” he said. 

Rao said Hariprasad had damaged his own reputation. “A mature politician shouldn’t speak like that. Positions come and go, but speaking like that on a public platform can’t be accepted,” he said. 

According to Rayareddi, Hariprasad should directly talk to the Congress high command.

“Hariprasad should have become a minister. He’s probably trying to get the attention of Siddaramaiah or the party. That’s why I say he should talk to the high command. His problem can be solved,” Rayareddi said. 

‘Not anti-party activity’

Meanwhile, IT/BT Minister Priyank Kharge said Hariprasad had not indulged in anti-party activity.

“How is speaking on behalf of a community anti-party activity? Did he abuse the party? There’s nothing wrong in fighting for a community,” he said.

“It’s true that everyone can’t be given positions. There’ll be only one chair with many aspirants. All of them have agreed to work for the party ahead of the Lok Sabha polls,” he said, expressing confidence that Hariprasad will sort out his issues with the high command. 

Home Minister G Parameshwara said whatever Hariprasad said was his personal opinion.

“What’s there for us to comment? I’ve thanked him for whatever he said about me. But other things - about appointment of CM and ministers - are to be discussed at the level of the high command,” he said.