There is no question of change in leadership in State, says Mahadevappa
Ruling out any possibility of replacing the Chief Minister in the State, Social Welfare Minister H.C. Mahadevappa has said that there is no question of change in leadership.
'We do not know when the Congress high command discussed with MLC Vishwanath about a change in leadership in the State,' he quipped.
Addressing presspersons in Kalaburagi on Sunday, Mr. Mahadevappa affirmed that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah will complete a full five-year term. The people of Karnataka have blessed the Congress for five years and also given an opportunity for Mr. Siddaramaiah to continue in office for five years, he added.
Criticising the BJP leaders for their double standards while demanding the resignation of Mr. Siddaramaiah for the recent stampede during the RCB's victory celebrations in Bengaluru, Mr. Mahadevappa argued that a stampede claimed lives during Kumbh Mela, more than 250 people lost their lives in a plane crash in Ahmedabad and seven devotees flying from Kedarnath temple to Guptkashi in Uttarakhand were killed in a helicopter crash. Did anyone demand the Prime Minister's resignation, he asked.
It is inappropriate to politicise such tragic and sorrowful events, he said.
However, the State government has formed an inquiry commission to investigate the stampede and to look into procedural lapses. 'We shall wait for the commission's report,' the Minister added.
Taking an oblique dig at the functioning of the Modi-led government at the Centre, Mr. Mahadevappa said that the glorification of a single individual can be a pathway towards dictatorship.
When a leader is praised and his actions are portrayed as infallible, it can undermine democratic institutions and pave the way for authoritarian rule. To uphold democratic values and preserve them, a consortium of various progressive organizations organised in September last year a 2,500-km-long human chain across the State to spread awareness about the Constitution and democracy during the International Day of Democracy. One must remember that equality and harmony can be achieved only by following the teachings of the Buddha, Basava and Ambedkar, he reiterated.
MLA Allamprabhu Patil, MLCs Thippannappa Kamaknoor and Jagdev Guttedar and Dalit leader D.G. Sagar were present.
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