Hitting back at Chief Minister Siddaramaiah over his comments on the Janata Dal (Secular) leadership and Vokkaliga politics, Union Minister for Heavy Industries and Steel H.D. Kumaraswamy on Sunday suggested that the time was ripe for him to shower love on Vokkaligas by vacating his post.
“I welcome the Congress’s generosity to the Vokkaliga community. If the Congress can make a Vokkaliga the Chief Minister, should you also not show the same generosity? Show the generosity by publicly speaking about the agreement you had before becoming the Chief Minister in the second term. Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, K.C. Venugopal, and Randeep Singh Surjewala must have understood your concept of social justice and love for Vokkaligas by now,” he retorted in a statement. “The very political strength and stature you enjoy today were enabled by former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda. Had he chosen to prioritise family or caste, you would not have become Finance Minister, perhaps not even the head of a corporation.”
Stating that the Chief Minister had used names of 13 Vokkaliga leaders for his political selfishness, Mr. Kumaraswamy asked if they did not enjoy power owing to Mr. Gowda’s efforts. “They all enjoyed power due to the sacrifices of Mr. Gowda and grew up before crossing over the fence.”
He also accused Mr. Siddaramaiah of backstabbing former Chief Minister S.M. Krishna, snatching the Leader of the Opposition’s post from current Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, and finishing off the chances of another Dalit leader G. Parameshwara.
“You did not become Chief Minister twice on merit but after sacrificing capable leaders in the name of social justice. Your social justice does not have conscience.”
The Union Minister said: “It is embarrassing that the person who trampled upon social justice speaks on it repeatedly. How long will you lie? If you were to be a genuine representative of AHINDA, you would have not dragged your caste at a sensitive time. This is what I had questioned you. My suggestion to you is that do not take the names of Basavanna, Narayana Guru, Kuvempu, and D. Devaraj Urs.”
Published – February 23, 2026 12:27 am IST
