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Congress rejects caste angle in Karnataka anti-graft campaign
The statement comes a day after state health minister K Sudhakar alleged that the Congress had made it a habit to target members of influential communities who are in power
A day after the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) gave the Congress’s campaign against corruption a caste spin, state party president DK Shivakumar said on Monday that the chief minister of the state was elected and given power through the provisions in the Constitution and not his caste.
“Did he become a chief minister through his caste? The power has been given by the constitution. We are targeting the government, and he (Basavaraj Bommai) is the head of the government,” Shivakumar said on Monday.
The statement comes a day after state health minister K Sudhakar alleged that the Congress had made it a habit to target members of influential communities who are in power, stirring a hornet’s nest in the caste-dominated politics of Karnataka.
“This Congress party has always done the same thing even when Veerendra Patil was the chief minister. Whoever gives good administration, especially if they are from the influential Lingayat community, they try to drag them down,” Sudhakar had said.
“They (Congress) have targeted them (Lingayats) and always do this. They always target major communities. This is not the first time. They did not spare the then chief minister Kengal Hanumanthiah? Whoever from major communities are there, this is the Congress’ constant approach (towards them),” he added.
The chief minister, however, distanced himself from the health minister’s statements on Sunday.
“I am not associated with that (statements). When such campaigns happen, a few people might have gotten angry but I am not associated with that,” Bommai said, steering clear of the controversy.
The statements come at a time when Congress has intensified its campaign against corruption allegations against the Bommai government.
The Karnataka unit of Congress put up ‘PayCM’ posters across Bengaluru, with a QR code and chief minister Basavaraj Bommai’s photo with the message “40% accepted here”, a reference to allegations that contractors have to pay 40% commission to get contracts.
Bommai is from the influential Lingayat community and Sudhakar’s insinuation of the Congress targeting this caste group, believed to account for nearly 17% of the state’s electorate, has added a new paradigm to the allegations.
Caste is one of the most significant factors affecting Karnataka’s political spectrum.
The BJP is believed to be backed by the Lingayats, the Janata Dal (Secular) or JD(S) reportedly enjoys the support of the Vokkaligas, and the Congress is reliant on backward classes, minorities and Dalits.
“The BJP released a book of corruption against Siddaramaiah. Was it because he is a backward class leader? They made allegations against DK Shivakumar. Was it because he was a Vokkaliga? They also spoke about me. Was it because they were against the Reddy community? To cover their corruption, the BJP government is hiding behind caste politics,” Ramalinga Reddy, senior Congress legislator and KPCC working president, said.
