Kumaraswamy blames rebels for Prajwal’s suitcase remark

Reacting for the first time, he says nephew didn’t refer to him

BENGALURU: The fracas caused by Prajwal Revanna’s statement about ‘suitcase culture’ in the party took another turn with party state president H D Kumaraswamy pointing his fingers towards rebel Janata Dal (Secular) candidates on Monday.

Kumaraswamy who had not reacted to Prajwal’s statement so far, chose to portray the rebels as the ones who had followed that culture in the party. “It is true that suitcases were being accepted. It is also true that they used to sit in the front row. But they have all left the party. Maybe he was talking about them,” Kumaraswamy countered.

Further Kumaraswamy tried to downplay the issue saying, “I don’t know whom Prajwal was referring to. I don’t know anything about this except what I have followed from media reports. Why should he apologise to me when he has not said anything about me,”he questioned. It maybe recalled that as soon as Prajwal’s comments were reported, two rebel MLAs and former close aides of Kumaraswamy— Zameer Ahmed Khan and H C Balakrishna —had made statements implying that Prajwal’s statements were indeed true and that it was dividing the party.

As soon as Kumaraswamy took a swipe at them, Balakrishna retaliated immediately saying if Kumaraswamy wanted to put the blame on them, then they were ready for a discussion. “This is why he is known as hit and run Kumaraswamy. If he wanted to blame us, then why did he keep quiet for three days ? All parties have the same culture. Why should Kumaraswamy deny this? Prajwal is young so he does not understand it. Once he becomes older, he will also realise that you need suitcase culture and it is not possible to build a party with your personal money,” Balakrishna said.

“This is not the reason why we left the party. We started losing confidence in each other and there was no trust. It had nothing to do with any suitcase. If he is referring to us, then we are ready for a discussion, because many leaders have left the party,” he said.Balakrishna maintained that Kumaraswamy was trying to control the damage done to the party by Prajwal’s statement by shifting the blame on them. 

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