Weepy HDK says coalition is ‘poison’
Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy on Saturday night did what he is best at: weep like a school kid.
Addressing party men who wanted to felicitate him, HDK said, tears rolling down his cheeks, “While you may be happy thinking that Anna or Thamma (brother) has become the chief minister, let me tell you that I'm not (happy). I'm swallowing my pain, which is nothing more than drinking poison, without sharing it. I am not happy with the situation.”
The immediate trigger was the video of a kid from Kodagu (Coorg) that went viral in Karnataka. In the video titled ''Kumaraswamy is not my CM'' the kid very eloquently said roads in the district have been washed away but the CM is not worried. Fishermen from coastal districts too voiced their anger against the chief minister for failing to waive their loans.
Apart from the kid's video, the Congress has been mounting pressure on Kumraswamy to roll back the hike in petrol and diesel. There has been criticism from all sections of the Congress party that has taken its toll on a CM who wants money desperately to fulfil his poll promise on waiver of farm loans.
Kumaraswamy's loan waiver is bad economics as there is no money in the treasury to fulfil his poll promise. He has to tax people which the Congress is opposing. At the meeting, Kumaraswamy also declined to accept bouquets and garlands.
“For the last one month, nobody knows the jugglery I've been doing to convince officials to agree to the loan waiver. Now, they want 7kg rice instead of 5kg under the Anna Bhagya scheme. From where should I get Rs 2,500 crore for this? I am being criticised for levying taxes. After all this, media says there is no clarity in my loan waiver scheme. If I wish, within two hours, I can step down from the office,'' Kumaraswamy said.
“God has given me this power (to become CM). He'll decide how many days I should stay," he added, taking out a hand towel to mop his tears.
The Congress was quick to pounce on the CM. A senior leader wondered what image Karnataka have if the State has a weak and weeping Chief Minister.
A worried father and JD(S) supremo HD Deve Gowda stood up to say that he is extremely worried about his son who is working for 18 hours a day without rest when his health is not in a good condition.
On Sunday, Gowda hit out at Congress leaders for levelling regional bias charge against his son over the budget and said he would ask him to table a white paper in the assembly on allocations made to different regions since 1956.