Haveri, Oct 1 (IANS): Former Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Sunday demanded an answer to the questions raised by veteran Congress MLA Shamanur Shivashankarappa’s charge that the Lingayat community is distraught under the Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.
Bommai said that the statement of Shamanur Shivashankarappa that there is no protection for Lingayat officers under Congress government is serious.
“Shamanur is a senior Congress MLA and President of All India Veerashaiva Mahasabha. The people take his statement seriously. The Chief Minister owes an explanation to what the veteran Congress MLA has said.
“Shamanur has said that even after the Chief Minister's clarification, his statement remains unchanged. That means he is very serious,” Bommai said.
He said that there is no coordination among the ministers and confusion prevails all over.
The Lingayat Chief Minister debate has come again to the forefront following Shamanur raising his voice.
Shamanur has said that nothing can be gained from the Deputy Chief Minister’s post and a Lingayat candidate should become the Chief Minister.
“The Lingayats are distraught under the rule of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah,” he had alleged.
Bommai said that the people of the state were not feeling the presence of an elected government. “The drought relief is yet to reach farmers. Within four months, the government has lost peoples trust,” he said.
On Cauvery water row, Bommai said that the Chief Minister says one thing inside the meeting with the legal experts while says something else in the public.
“Inside the meeting, the Chief Minister said that the government will go for an appeal but outside he reiterated about going to file an appeal while ruling out the stoppage of water to the neighboring state,” he said.
“When we questioned Siddaramaiah, he claimed that it amounted to contempt of court. The government will be dismissed and the dam will be taken over. This statement has been made even before going to the Supreme Court,” Bommai said.
He said that if the Chief Minister has such a feeling then the apex court will ask Karnataka to release water to Tamil Nadu.
“Is Chief Minister even lacking this much knowledge? The government had been following a dual policy and the people have now understood that this government cannot save the land and water of the State,” Bommai said.