<p>Congress leader D K Shivakumar has drawn flak from some of his party leaders for holding the JD(S) flag when he returned here from Delhi after getting bail in a money laundering case.</p>.<p>Shivakumar, arrested by the Enforcement Directorate, and in judicial custody at the Tihar Jail, returned on Saturday to a rousing welcome here, where besides Congress leaders, there were those from the JD(S) waiting to receive him.</p>.<p>When he was being taken in a procession in a flower-bedecked vehicle, a JD(S) worker handed over a party flag to him which the Congress leader received, waved it for a while and returned it to him.</p>.<p>A video of the incident has since gone viral.</p>.<p>A video of former Chief Minister and Congress leader Siddaramaiah criticising Shivakumar for the act, in a private conversation, is also now in wide circulation in social media.</p>.<p>In the video, Siddaramaiah is heard saying that the Lingayats, a prominent community of Karnataka seen backing the BJP, are now distancing themselves with Lingayat strongman and Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa, and the Vokkaligas, another dominant community, are disenchanted with JD(S) and H D Kumaraswamy.</p>.<p>Justifying his act, Shivakumar said, "... wherever I go, people give me a number of flags including the Kannada flag and people from all walks of life come to meet me. Even now there are three JD(S) MLAs waiting to meet me. Can I tell them not to come?"</p>.<p>Shivakumar insisted that holding flag was not a big deal as he has been "a born Congressman".</p>.<p>"I came straight to the Congress office, which is a temple for me," he clarified.</p>.<p>Siddaramaiah termed making the video of his private conversation an act of mischief as it was an internal discussion.</p>.<p>Seeking to downplay Siddaramaiah's criticism, Shivakumar said, "Siddaramaiah has lots of love towards me."</p>.<p>Kumaraswamy slammed Siddaramaiah for his comment in the video.</p>.<p>"Siddaramaiah is pure secular and we, who had supported him, are communal," Kumaraswamy sarcastically said.</p>.<p>"Shivakumar might have held the JD(S) flag because some of our party workers went to support him. It doesn't require a big analysis," Kumaraswamy said. </p>
<p>Congress leader D K Shivakumar has drawn flak from some of his party leaders for holding the JD(S) flag when he returned here from Delhi after getting bail in a money laundering case.</p>.<p>Shivakumar, arrested by the Enforcement Directorate, and in judicial custody at the Tihar Jail, returned on Saturday to a rousing welcome here, where besides Congress leaders, there were those from the JD(S) waiting to receive him.</p>.<p>When he was being taken in a procession in a flower-bedecked vehicle, a JD(S) worker handed over a party flag to him which the Congress leader received, waved it for a while and returned it to him.</p>.<p>A video of the incident has since gone viral.</p>.<p>A video of former Chief Minister and Congress leader Siddaramaiah criticising Shivakumar for the act, in a private conversation, is also now in wide circulation in social media.</p>.<p>In the video, Siddaramaiah is heard saying that the Lingayats, a prominent community of Karnataka seen backing the BJP, are now distancing themselves with Lingayat strongman and Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa, and the Vokkaligas, another dominant community, are disenchanted with JD(S) and H D Kumaraswamy.</p>.<p>Justifying his act, Shivakumar said, "... wherever I go, people give me a number of flags including the Kannada flag and people from all walks of life come to meet me. Even now there are three JD(S) MLAs waiting to meet me. Can I tell them not to come?"</p>.<p>Shivakumar insisted that holding flag was not a big deal as he has been "a born Congressman".</p>.<p>"I came straight to the Congress office, which is a temple for me," he clarified.</p>.<p>Siddaramaiah termed making the video of his private conversation an act of mischief as it was an internal discussion.</p>.<p>Seeking to downplay Siddaramaiah's criticism, Shivakumar said, "Siddaramaiah has lots of love towards me."</p>.<p>Kumaraswamy slammed Siddaramaiah for his comment in the video.</p>.<p>"Siddaramaiah is pure secular and we, who had supported him, are communal," Kumaraswamy sarcastically said.</p>.<p>"Shivakumar might have held the JD(S) flag because some of our party workers went to support him. It doesn't require a big analysis," Kumaraswamy said. </p>