Backward Communities conclave

Bengaluru: Congress leader BK Hariprasad has breathed fire against Chief Minister S Siddaramiah without naming him. “You wear a Hublot wristwatch, and a Khadi dhoti as a facade to show off your credential as a socialist, but you also wear rightist attire deep inside, away from the public view, That does not make you a socialist but a casteist and right winger in disguise ” Hariprasad berated Siddaramiah without naming him.

Speaking as a keynote speaker at the Backward Communities conclave in the city on Saturday Hariprasad said “There is a difference between a casteist and secular leader, the former revolves around his own caste and does not allow help or aid to reach other castes, this is exactly what is happening in the present dispensation. Those are the secular people who take all castes and communities together, I have a few leaders who, in my view qualify for the latter category -Kagodu Thimappa, Deveraj Urs and S Bangarappa,” he added.

“I am not here, talking like this to air my discontent for not getting a ministerial berth, But there were many people who could have been made deputy chief minister of the state, even one or two people were there coming from Billava, Eediga, and Namadhari communities. Even minority leaders could have been considered for that post, which did not happen,” he said.

Stating that the Backward Communities were vulnerable, Hariprasad said, “We are independent and have helped the government to come to power, but once the government was in place, the role we played was conveniently forgotten, and the leaders have to tend to the communities to which they belonged."

Aam Aadmi Party's Karnataka unit president, veteran actor Mukhyamantri Chandru, Ediga community religious Pranavananda Swamiji, former Legislative Council member HR Srinath, former Minister Shivamurthy Naik, Council member Prakash Rathod, Backward Classes Commission former chairman Dwarkanath, BJP leader Narendra Babu and many others were present in the convention. (eom)