Daijiworld Media Network – Bangalore (SP)

Bangalore, Nov 1: 'For all of us, party comes first, followed by government. Therefore, as the president of the party, it is but natural for me to point out mistakes if any committed by the government. Stop passing comments against me for advising the government on certain issues. Learn to respect the position of the state party president,' said Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee president, Dr G Parameshwar, to certain state ministers who chose to find fault with him for criticizing the government's functioning.

To air these views, he utilized the stage provided to him at a programme organized in the party office here on Friday October 31 to commemorate the late Indira Gandhi on her death anniversary.

He pointed out that when candidates or their supporters approach people for votes, they seek votes for the party, not the government. 'When lacunae in the government's working is found, criticisms and advices are bound to come. Even when I pass comments as the state president of the party, some people chose to find fault in me in individual capacity. This is not right. Party leaders should learn to respect the people in party positions,' he felt.

He said that everyone in the party has in unison accepted chief minister, Siddaramaiah, who has been chosen by national president of party, Sonia Gandhi, as their leader. At the same time, he reminded them that they should not forget that he is the state president of the party, and will not dither from passing comments or criticisms when something wrong happens. 'The relationship between me and the chief minister can be compared to that of siblings. When selecting candidates for assembly poll, we did it without any rumblings or differences. But now I see that some people are hatching a plan to divide us and split the party. We should not rest in our laurels. BJP is preparing for the next election, and we should not lag behind in preparedness. Never allow snide efforts to divide the party,' he advised party activists.