'Why is Shivakumar upset?': Karnataka Congress SC/ST ministers miffed over dinner plan dash

Bengaluru: Karnataka Congress’s SC/ST ministers, whose dinner meet-up plan was halted by the high command, expressed annoyance Wednesday, highlighting divisions within the ruling dispensation.

The strongest comment came from Cooperation Minister K N Rajanna as he lashed out at Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar, who was widely believed to have played a role in getting the party’s high command to stop the dinner meet-up that was scheduled Wednesday evening.

“Why should Shivakumar be upset? Did anyone ask him to part with his wealth?” Rajanna said.

“Be it the high command or anybody else...we wanted to discuss burning issues concerning SC/STs. There are no scholarships or hostels for SC/ST students joining pre-university and those who get seats under the management-quota. By asking us not to hold the meeting, are they anti-SC/STs? This (attitude) won’t last long,” Rajanna said.

Home Minister G Parameshwara, who had announced his plans to host dinner only to postpone it following instructions from the high command, said it was supposed to be an internal meeting.

“Our AICC general secretary Randeep Singh Surjewala said he wanted to attend the meeting. He said he’d give me a date. So, we postponed it. We haven’t cancelled it,” Parameshwara said.

Parameshwara said there were discussions at one stage to invite Shivakumar for the dinner meet-up. “There’s nothing to hide. We’ll do politics openly. There are several burning issues pertaining to Dalits,” he said.

“If anybody says they won’t tolerate meetings (of SC/STs), then we’re capable of giving a befitting reply,” Parameshwara added.

It was widely speculated that Parameshwara’s dinner meeting and the SC/ST convention that was being planned could revive the demand for a Dalit to become the next chief minister, scuttling the prospects of Shivakumar, who is a Vokkaliga.

According to sources, the SC/ST ministers are determined to go ahead with their plans.

“This is about the community. We want to organise the SC/ST convention before February 16,” one of them said.

During the day, Shivakumar declined to comment on the high command’s decision to halt the dinner meet-up.

Asked about him having lodged a complaint with the high command, he called it “fake news”.

While both Rajanna and Parameshwara said that the dinner meet-up was postponed, Public Works Minister Satish Jarkiholi said it had been cancelled.

“There are ups and downs in politics. There are no permanent winners or losers,” Jarkiholi said.

"By asking us not to hold the meeting are they anti-SC/STs? This attitude won't last long," Cooperation Minister K N Rajanna said.