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Shivakumar’s Ballari visit did not constitute overreach: Minister
State Home Minister G Parameshwara defended Deputy CM DK Shivakumar against allegations of interference in police matters during a visit to Ballari.
State home minister G Parameshwara on Friday denied allegations by Union minister HD Kumaraswamy that deputy chief minister DK Shivakumar interfered in the functioning of the state’s home department during his recent visit to Ballari following a violent political clash.
Parameshwara’s remarks came in response to Kumaraswamy’s criticism of Shivakumar for convening a meeting of senior police officers in Ballari, an action the former chief minister described as an overreach.
“He is a responsible minister; he is the deputy chief minister,” Parameshwara told reporters.
“Kumaraswamy may be right in saying that the deputy chief minister is also just a cabinet minister and, as per the Constitution, he has no additional powers. But it cannot be said that he was wrong to go there as a government representative. He went there with the responsibility of a cabinet minister and deputy chief minister, because I could not go.”
Parameshwara said Shivakumar visited Ballari in his capacity as a government representative, met the family of the deceased Congress worker, and sought to understand the situation on the ground. Addressing questions about whether Shivakumar had the authority to hold a meeting with police officers, the home minister dismissed the need for formal permission.
“What is the need for permission? He is a government representative,” Parameshwara said.
He added that the state cabinet functions on the principle of collective responsibility and said such actions should not be construed as interference.
On Thursday, Kumaraswamy, the Union Steel Minister and a leader of the Janata Dal (Secular), sharply criticized Shivakumar’s conduct during his Ballari visit. “Why did the Deputy Chief Minister convene a meeting of police officers in Ballari? Who gave him that authority? Is there no Home Minister in the state? Are the existing Home Ministers mere figureheads?” he asked.
