Channapatna Assembly Constituency by-elections will be held on November 13. (file)
Mandya:
Targeting the ruling Congress in Karnataka, JD(S) patriarch and former prime minister HD Deve Gowda on Friday said he will not rest till the government is removed and reiterated that he will remain active in politics till his last breath.
The veteran leader praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his leadership, as he hit out at the leaders of the INDI alliance, and attacked Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar, who is also the state Congress chief, saying, “It’s in Deve Gowda’s instinct, I have said that thousands. Now till the last breath of life.” She has not said that she will continue to fight in politics, that she will retire from politics.
Talking to reporters, he said that his grandson Nikhil Kumaraswamy was not only campaigning and “participating in political battles” as he was contesting from Channapatna. “I will fight for the party’s candidate in the next election as well,” he said.
Bye-elections to Channapatna Assembly Constituency will be held on November 13.
Deve Gowda accused Shivakumar of using money power to defeat his son and Union Minister HD Kumaraswamy in the Lok Sabha polls in Mandya earlier this year. “DK (Shivakumar) don’t try to compare yourself, don’t try to second guess yourself.” Pointing to the Maharishi Valmiki Scheduled Tribes Development Corporation scam in Karnataka, he said, the money of the Valmiki community was used by the Congress government of Karnataka in the Telangana assembly elections.
“Until this government is removed (I will fight)… I am 92 years old. I will not sleep at home after my grandson Nikhil Kumaraswamy wins. No. I have not seen such a government in my 62 years. Political life… We need to save this state, I will try beyond my limits for this,” he said.
Reacting to Deve Gowda’s comments, Sivakumar told reporters in Ramanagara: “Kumaraswamy is the son of a former chief minister, former prime minister, while I am the son of a poor farmer and there can be no comparison between me and Kumaraswamy.” “He (Kumaraswamy) is Himalaya, while I am an honest soldier of the people,” he said.
On Gowda’s comments about removing the government, Shivakumar said, “… it is not a peanut plant that can be removed easily … it is a strong government of 136 MLAs democratically elected by the people.” Deve Gowda said that the JD(S), a regional party, joined the NDA because the INDI alliance does not have a single leader, who is “equal” to PM Modi. “Let any leader of the Indian alliance say he can face Modi….” Speaking about Donald Trump winning the US presidential election, Gowda said that Modi and Trump have a good relationship and it will be beneficial for the economic progress of the country, and for the country. Confront “adversaries like China and others.” Gowda pointed to a section of the media portraying the Channapatna by-election as a fight between ‘DK’ (Shivakumar) and ‘HDK’ (HD Kumaraswamy), saying there could be no comparison between them.
“Where is HDK? Kumaraswamy made Ramanagara a district, he (Shivakumar) is trying to merge it with Bengaluru claiming that it will benefit the people….Comparing him (DK) with Kumaraswamy – HDK, I am not saying this because he ( Kumaraswamy) is my son – you (cannot compare),” he said.
Even though the JD(S) won only two seats, Prime Minister Modi has given Kumaraswamy the charge of two key departments at the Centre. “Kumaraswamy has developed the personality to take on such a responsibility.” Responding to a question about Shivakumar and other Congress leaders allegedly criticizing his grandson and son for being emotional and shedding tears during election campaigning, Gowda asked, “Has anyone seen DK shed tears?” “Started working with Kotwal Ramchandra (a gangster) for a hundred rupees, he (Shivakumar) is the state president of the Congress party under Pandit Nehru and Indira Gandhi – has he ever shed a tear? Show me,” he said. .
Admitting that he, his son and grandson shed tears, Gowda added, ‘When the farmers are suffering our hearts… our family has shed tears, it comes from me, my father, we have suffered poverty, we have worry and pain. For the poor…”
(Other than the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)