BALLARI: Two days after Medical Education Minister DK Shivakumar’s ‘regret’ over the previous government’s attempt to secure separate religion tag for Lingayats, minister Ramesh Jarkiholi has lashed out at him, advising him not to show off.
‘Mind your business,’ is what Ramesh told his party colleague Shivakumar over his recent remarks on separate Lingayat religion. Jarkiholi, who was in Kudligi, said that Shivakumar, who is also Ballari District In-charge Minister, has come here for elections and added that he should mind his business instead of creating such controversies.
“The decision regarding the Lingayat religion was a collective one taken by the cabinet. It came up in the meeting following an appeal by a few pontiffs. Shivakumar says he was against it. But he did not speak a single word in this regard at the cabinet meeting then. He was sitting next to M B Patil,” Ramesh told reporters.
He added that only Eshwar Khandre and Shamanoor Shivashankarappa had objected to the separate Lingayat religion proposal.Pointing out to Lakshmi Hebbalkar’s participation in Lingayat religion meetings across the state, he said, “She attended every Lingayat religion meet and spoke there. If he was against it, why would his follower (Lakshmi) attend meetings?” he asked.
He said that Shivakumar is definitely a party to the decision as he was a minister in the Siddaramaiah cabinet.When questioned about why he did not attend the meeting called by Shivakumar to discuss the strategy to win the Ballari Lok Sabha seat on Sunday, Ramesh said that he has been entrusted with Kudligi taluk and he is working on it.
Meanwhile, speaking to reporters, KPCC president Dinesh Gundu Rao admitted that there are differences between Shivakumar and Ramesh and added that this will be resolved in the party forum. Terming their differences as personal, he said that it would be set right through discussion.On the Lingayat religion issue raked up by Shivakumar, he said that it is his personal opinion and not the party’s.