An odd development occurred in Karnataka Congress as Legislative Council Member BK Hariprasad challenged Karnataka Chief Minister and Congress leader Siddaramaiah, stating that he knew ‘how to make or bring the chief minister down’.
The MLC, who is said to be sulking for sometime now over not being inducted into Karnataka cabinet, was speaking at a meeting of Ediga, Billava, Namdhari and Deevara communities on Friday.
In the video, BK Hariprasad could be heard saying, “I know how to make CM and how to bring him down. I do not beg from anyone. I will stand with my chest. Becoming a minister is a different question.”
“The community should be conscious. Whether I become a minister or not is a different question. I have already played a role in making five Chief Ministers in this country, whether it is Pondicherry (Puducherry) or Goa. In Jharkhand, I have done it alone. In Haryana and Punjab, I did it along with the AICC team,” Hariprasad said.
BK Hariprasad, who has not been inducted into the Karnataka cabinet, was speaking at a meeting of Billava and Ediga leaders in Bengaluru on Friday and gave an indirect warning to CM Siddaramaiah by saying that he knew how to choose and remove CM.
“Siddaramaiah belongs to the backward class. We gave support in 2013 because we wanted everyone to remain united,” the Congress MLC said.
Hariprasad also alleged that politically, the Billava and Ediga communities were not able to come forward, and expressed his displeasure that they were falling victim to someone’s conspiracies.
Both BK Hariprasad, a former Leader of the Opposition in the Council, and CM Siddaramaiah are OBCs. Hariprasad belongs to the Ediga community, while CM Siddaramaiah comes from the Kuruba community.
While reacting to the viral video on Saturday, Hariprasad said that he doesn’t talk about resentment and that he accepts what he said as “true”.
“I will not take back a word that I have said. I will be bound by what I have said. It is not my word if I have not said it. Even so, I will be bound by my word if I have said it,” he said while speaking to reporters in Bengaluru later on Saturday.
Addressing the gathering, he claimed credit for making Bhupesh Baghel, a leader among the backward classes, as Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh.
“So I very well know how to make some Chief Minister or to ensure someone steps down from the post… I will not bow down or beg. Let me make it clear. If any injustice happens, ‘Koti Chennaya’ (legendary Tuluva twin heroes) have thought about how to face it. Doing politics in Bengaluru for 49 years is not a child’s game,” he added.
Download The Mint News App to get Daily Market Updates & Live Business News.
Updated: 23 Jul 2023, 06:06 PM IST