Deve Gowda defends son's meeting

“He (Kumaraswamy) discussed only about Karnataka politics with Sonia. We (the JD-S) will continue to be a strong pillar of the third alternative,” he stated at a media conference called to clarify his party’s stand at his Padmanabhanagar residence.

Kumaraswamy met Sonia Gandhi to discuss issues concerning the State, including a joint strategy to destroy the ‘operation kamala’ epidemic of the ruling BJP. “Kumaraswamy is concerned with the misrule of the ruling BJP. The Government decided to amend KCOCA to target a section of society recently. The media should not read too much into the meeting,” Gowda stated. Gowda said that HDK had already clarified in New Delhi on Tuesday evening about the meeting where the discussions were restricted to the situation in Karnataka and there were no discussions on national politics. He also circulated a statement by Kumaraswamy, saying the meeting took place at the behest of some friends in the Congress.

Asked whether Kumaraswamy had taken his consent to meet Sonia, the JD(S) chief said: “I am not finding fault with Kumaraswamy for not informing or taking my consent to meet Sonia Gandhi. As I have been down with fever and away at Hassan, my son could not contact me. Don’t forget, he was the CM and is the party’s State President,” he added.
But Gowda declined to entertain specific queries on the meeting such as who arranged the meeting? On whose behalf Kumaraswamy met the Congress President? Will the JD(S) support the Congress if the Third Front fails to form the Government on its own?
On Kumaraswamy trying to hide his face while coming out of 10th Janapath, Gowda said that the mercury level in Delhi was around 47 to 48 degree celsius. Kumaraswamy had covered his face with handkerchief for shade and that he was not hiding his face, he claimed. Gowda said the Third Front meeting is likely to be held on May 17 in Delhi to decide about the stand to be taken at the national level.