Row over Sitharaman’s itinerary persists

The row over Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman’s (pictured) itinerary during her visit to flood-hit Kodagu district persisted on Saturday, with a state minister being faulted over his conduct and the Karnataka government hitting back, asserting that it was not inferior to the Centre.

Sitharaman and Karnataka Minister Sa Ra Mahesh were locked in an exchange of words over her itinerary during her visit to Kodagu district on Friday in full view of officials and the media at the district commissioner’s office.

In a clarification issued on Saturday, a Defence PRO statement, claimed that Mahesh, who is the district in charge minister, had made certain ‘personal’ remarks against Sitharaman', which had also lowered the dignity of Rajya Sabha, and showed "utter lack of regard" and knowledge about the Indian Polity.

It said the remarks made against Sitharaman were also in "bad taste," which do not merit a response.

Hitting back at the defence minister, Karnataka deputy chief minister G Parameshwara said state governments derive their powers from the Constitution, not from the Centre.

"The Constitution has distributed powers among the Centre and states to ensure an equitable partnership between both. We are not inferior to the Centre. We are partners @nsitharamanMadam," he said in his tweet, before the clarification. "Madam @nsitharaman, our ministers have stayed back in Kodagu for weeks to oversee relief operations along with district administration. You should extend to them the same respect that they extend for the help from your end. It was disappointing to see you lash out at my colleague," he said.

There was frayed tempers over itinerary at the meeting at Madikeri when Sitharaman was interacting with a group of affected people of Kodagu district, where torrential rains had left a huge trail of destruction and claimed at least 17 lives.

Sitharaman had told Mahesh that she was only going by the minute-by-minute programme drawn up for her visit and she had been following the minister incharge and the itinerary.

"I follow the minister in charge. Central minister follows the minister in charge here. Unbelievable! You have a list of minute-to-minute for me to follow...I am doing as per your schedule," she had said. Later, Mahesh had told a TV channel, "She would have known the pain had she contested election by standing with the electorate, going to every house, meeting voters and asked their problems. She has been elected to Rajya Sabha from Karnataka."