MYSURU: Congress MLC Dr Yathindra Siddaramaiah, who recently stirred a political furore by naming Public Works Minister Satish Jarkiholi as a possible successor to his father and Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, has now clarified that Siddaramaiah will continue as the CM for the full five-year term.
Speaking to reporters at Senate Bhavan in Manasagangotri Campus in Mysuru on Saturday, Yathindra said, “In the current situation, Siddaramaiah will remain the CM for five years. There is no ‘September or December Kranti’ (revolution) within the Congress government.”
Dr Yathindra said that if the party issues him a notice seeking an explanation for his statement, he will respond accordingly. He further said that internal issues of the Congress will be discussed only within the party.
“I stand by my earlier statement made in Belagavi and have already issued a clarification. I do not wish to create any further controversy by repeating it. I will not discuss it again in front of the media. There was nothing wrong in what I said,” he added.
Earlier, addressing a seminar on “Social and Educational Survey: Historic Background, Implementation Challenges, and Our Responsibility” organised by Jagrutha Karnataka, Dalitha Vidyarthi Okoota, and Mysuru University Researchers Association at Senate Bhavan, Dr Yathindra said,
“Caste system is the most exploitative structure in our country. We can change our religion, but not our caste. It dictates our social status and profession from birth to death,” he said, adding that it was only through Dr BR Ambedkar’s Constitution that Dalits and backward classes gained access to education and employment through reservations, enabling them to live with dignity.
He said that resistance to caste surveys often comes from powerful communities.
Criticising Infosys founder Narayana Murthy, his wife and MP Sudha Murty, and BJP leaders Tejasvi Surya and Pralhad Joshi for opposing the caste survey, Yathindra said, “Their statements suggesting that the survey covers only backward communities are misleading. Their remarks are attempts to confuse society,” he added.
Where is Congress high command, asks Bommai
On the controversy surrounding Dr Yathindra’s recent statement on change of guard in the state, former chief minister and BJP Haveri MP Basavaraj Bommai said, “His remarks have become a major topic of discussion.
Though the CM has given his own clarification, Yathindra’s comments have raised questions even within Congress about where the real high command is. The CM said the high command is the final authority — but after Yathindra’s statement, people are wondering whether the high command is in Delhi or around the CM’s own family,” Bommai remarked sarcastically.
