Leaders of political parties welcomed the state government’s decision of not inviting KPCC president G Parameshwara for the launch of ‘Anna Bhagya’ scheme.
Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao had told reporters on Tuesday that Parameshwara would not be invited for the programme since it was a government programme and was being held as per protocol.
This statement had created an impression in political circles that Parameshwara was being ‘sidelined’ by the State government.
Former union minister and MLC M V Rajashekharan told Express that the government had to invite presidents of other parties, if it had invited Parameshwara for the programme. According to protocol, only MLAs and MLCs of BBMP limits should be invited for such government programmes.
“If the Congress had organised the programme, then the KPCC president should have presided over the function. But if we had called him for this function, we should have invited him to the dais and allowed him to speak. Since it is a government programme, protocol has to be followed strictly. We have to treat presidents of all parties equally,” he said.
A senior Janata Dal (Secular) leader said, “Since it was a government function, the government has done a good thing by not making it a party function by calling president of the ruling party.” However, BJP state unit president K S Eshwarappa said Parameshwara could have participated in the function as one of the Congress leaders since it was the launch of a social welfare scheme.
Going by the protocol, no party president (unless he is an elected representative) should be invited for government function as it could invite criticism. In the districts, presidents of district units of the parties were invited to share the dais and the protocol is practised very rarely there.