From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network

Bengaluru, Jan 6: Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Saturday termed JDS supremo H D Deve Gowda’s prediction that Congress will end under Siddaramaiah and D K Shivakumar’s leadership as a ‘blessing and not curse’ and wished that both JDS and BJP should be ‘permanently in opposition’.

Reacting to the former Prime Minister’s promise to work for the demise of Congress, Siddaramaiah said he would always wish ‘long life to JDS’ and declared that he as well as Deputy Chief Minister and KPCC President D K Shivakumar would strive to ensure that both JDS and BJP should always remain in the opposition.

“He (Deve Gowda) is an elderly person. Elders should bless those younger to them and should never curse them,’’ he said.

The Chief Minister said the JDS national president had worn the ‘mantle of secularism for decades’ and ‘in the evening of his life, had to shed the secularism label and wear the crown of communalism’.

“Obviously, he (Deve Gowda) is frustrated and must have made the statement out of frustration. If he honestly believes that what he said is wrong, he might retract his statement. I wish him long life,’’ he said.

Siddaramaiah, however, taunted Deve Gowda that after his party’s joining the BJP-led NDA, must have become ‘contaminated’ with the ally, BJP, which had ‘arrogantly vowed to bring ‘Congress-Mukht Bharat’ and he also wants to ‘end Congress rule’.

“This is nothing but the repercussion of JDS joining BJP-led NDA,’’ he said.

The Chief Minister said: “I heartily wish that JDS should not end and Deve Gowda should be politically active for many more years. At the same, I want JDS and his ally, BJP, should be permanently in opposition. The Congress party will constantly strive to fulfil this.’’

“I have all along said JDS is a ‘B Team of BJP’ and compliment JDS for accepting the fact and clarifying its ideological affinity. By doing this, the party has saved many secular minded voters who had voted for JDS believing its secular pretensions,’’ he said and declared that the ensuing election with be a direct fight between secular and communal forces.

“I am confident that the voters of Karnataka and its people, known for secular values and communal harmony, will make the right choice in the coming elections,’’ he added.