BENGALURU: Dropping a bomb on coalition partner Congress, JD(S) senior leader and PWD minister H D Revanna on Friday said G Parameshwara should have been allowed to keep the Home ministry. In his bid to deny allegations that his interference in Home department led to reallocation of the ministry, Revanna accused a few Congress leaders of a conspiracy. The Congress, meanwhile, has chosen to ignore Revanna’s attack.
“What can I do if his own party members can’t stand to see Parameshwara, a Scheduled community leader, as DyCM? Why blame me for him losing the Home portfolio?” Revanna asked reporters. He was lashing out at alleged conspirators within the Congress of using the media to accuse him and Kumaraswamy of interfering too much in the day-to-day affairs of other ministries.
Clearly agitated with reports of Congress taking exception to his ‘interference’ in transfer of officials, Revanna said he has never influenced any department other than his own or interfered in matters other than his constituency’s. “Accusing Parameshwara of being influenced by Kumaraswamy or me is absurd. Parameshwara is not a fool. He has been a minister earlier too. Kumaraswamy too will tolerate only as long as he can. What will happen after that? We are not the ones sitting scared,” he said.
Revanna’s threat of Kumaraswamy’s waning patience is likely to become an embarrassment to the coalition government at a time when Congress is trying to paint of picture of all being well.Warning the Congress of doom if some people are allowed to promote “such conspiracies”, Revanna added the party had no reason to take away the Home portfolio from Parameshwara. “He is from the SC community. Was there a need to remove him as a Home minister? What has he done wrong? He should have had both posts — Deputy CM and Home. He has worked as KPCC chief for eight years. I have immense respect for Parameshwara,” he added, reiterating that he had no role to play in the Home ministry being reassigned.
The Congress, while refusing to comment on Revanna’s allegations, only chose to say that the decision on portfolio allocation was a party matter. “Whatever changes have been done to the cabinet will add more strength and stability to the coalition government. It will help this government,” said KPCC president Dinesh Gundu Rao.