BENGALURU: Congress leader NA Haris, on Monday hit out at JDS leader H D Kumaraswamy for accusing former CM Siddaramaiah of snubbing minority leaders of the Grand Old Party. “The recent developments in the run-up to the Hanagal and Sindagi bypolls have exposed who is snubbing minorities and the minority leadership in Karnataka,” Haris told the media here. The JDS had fielded minority candidates in Hanagal and Sindagi but both lost their deposits.
The MLA said that only the Congress believes in social justice and has groomed minority leaders. Newly appointed Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee Minority Cell chairman Abdul Jabbar too echoed Haris’ views and said, “People of the state know who is working to safeguard the interests of the minority leadership. Did the JDS give adequate representation to the minorities (in the cabinet and boards and boards and corporations) when it was in power?”
On murmurs of senior Congress leader and MLC CM Ibrahim planning to join the JDS, the duo maintained that they will speak to him in this regard. “Everyone knows there is freedom to express opinions in the Congress. The party has not meted out any injustice to Ibrahim,” claimed Jabbar. Jabbar will assume charge as the chairman of the KPCC minority cell at a rally to be held at Nalpad Pavilion on Palace Grounds in Bengaluru on November 16.