BELAGAVI: Industries Minister MB Patil has said the presence of leaders of two different political parties on the same stage should not be given a different colour. He was referring to reports about the presence of Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar and Union Home Minister Amit Shah on the same stage recently at the Isha Foundation in Coimbatore.
He said the Isha Foundation usually invites VIPs from different fields each year for its Mahashivaratri celebrations, and this time, Shah and Shivakumar were among the top guests there. He said noted seers from North Karnataka also usually invite leaders from different parties and VIPs to their mutts, and such things should not be politicised.
Responding to a question that Shivakumar was leaning towards ‘Hindutva’, given his recent meetings with certain leaders, he said that in a democracy, everyone had the independence to practice his faith.
The ideologies of political parties and individuals were two different issues, he said, adding that if the leaders of two different parties join on the same stage, how could it impact the ideologies of their respective parties.
When the reporters said Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev had criticised Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, Patil said it was the personal issue concerned to the former and it should not be discussed here.
Patil did not comment on speculation with regard to the possible change in CM, stating that the high command would take a call on it.