Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Saturday dismissed as “completely false” the allegations that Congress general secretary and state in-charge Randeep Singh Surjewala met with government officials in Karnataka.
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What DK Shivakumar said?
Addressing reporters in Arsikere, Shivakumar firmly denied the speculation, stating that Surjewala had neither spoken to nor met with any officials. “There is no truth in these claims. This is our government. If Surjewala has anything to say, he will communicate directly with us. If there are issues that need correction, he will inform us. But to say he met officials behind our backs is absolutely incorrect,” said Shivakumar, who also heads the state Congress unit.
When asked about Co-operation Minister K N Rajanna’s remark that such meetings with bureaucrats would be “illegal,” Shivakumar chose to tread cautiously. “I don’t want to comment on statements made by senior leaders. The Chief Minister has already spoken on this matter and I have nothing more to add. He’s more informed than I am,” he said.
{{/usCountry}}When asked about Co-operation Minister K N Rajanna’s remark that such meetings with bureaucrats would be “illegal,” Shivakumar chose to tread cautiously. “I don’t want to comment on statements made by senior leaders. The Chief Minister has already spoken on this matter and I have nothing more to add. He’s more informed than I am,” he said.
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Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, too, had earlier denied claims that Surjewala held private discussions with North Indian officials posted in Karnataka. His statement came in response to Rajanna’s accusation that Surjewala had recently held a closed-door meeting in Bengaluru with these officials.
This is not the first time such allegations have surfaced. Previous claims suggesting that Surjewala was directly interacting with state officials had also been refuted by the CM.
Interestingly, both Rajanna and Social Welfare Minister H C Mahadevappa, known to be close aides of Siddaramaiah, reportedly skipped one-on-one meetings with Surjewala held in Bengaluru recently, adding fuel to internal speculation within the Congress ranks.