BENGALURU: The raging row between Water Resources Minister M B Patil and Municipal Administration Minister Eshwar Khandre over the Veerashaiva-Lingayat religion issue has invited the wrath of the Chief Minister. Siddaramaiah is said to have pulled up the two ministers at the Cabinet meeting on Wednesday.
The CM, according to sources, conveyed his displeasure and told the two ministers that their aggressive and contradictory stands on the separate religion demand for Lingayat community and verbal spat is damaging the image of the government and the Congress party.
Siddaramaiah cut short MB Patil as the minister tried offer an explanation and asked the two ministers to get into damage control mode as the open fight between the two ministers over the issue could damage the prospects of Congress in the Assembly election ahead, sources said.
However, Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister T B Jayachandra who briefed the media about Cabinet decisions, denied the reports. Patil too, in a statement, denied such reports.