HDK blames media for stirring up N K'taka state issue

Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy, on Monday, blamed the media for stirring up the controversial separate North Karnataka state issue.

Speaking to reporters in Bengaluru, he said: "The media is instigating people. You (media) are stoking the fire. I have not made any wrong statements on the separate statehood issue. I had merely responded to BJP MLA Sreeramulu's statements. I had asked him where he would bring grants from if a separate state is created. I haven't said anything beyond this. But the media has been repeatedly airing this."

Recently, Sreeramulu had demanded a separate North Karnataka state. In the budget discussion, he said that if the government neglected North Karnataka districts, then the demand for separate statehood would be intensified.

Reacting to Sreeramulu's statement, Kumaraswamy retorted at a public gathering in Channapatna asking him if he had the mettle to run a separate state.

The CM also rued that the people of north Karnataka had not voted him to power. Following this, some organisations and mutt heads called for a bandh in Belagavi on August 2.