Kumaraswamy refuses to support Karnataka BJP's Padayatra

New Delhi: Union Minister HD Kumaraswamy, who also serves as the state president of JDS, has declined to support the Karnataka BJP's upcoming padayatra, expressing his displeasure over the invitation extended to former MLA Preetham Gowda of Hassan. The BJP has planned a seven-day 'padayatra' from August 3 to protest against the alleged misdeeds of the Siddaramaiah government.

Reaction to BJP's invitation

Addressing the media in New Delhi, Kumaraswamy reacted strongly, questioning how he could share a platform with someone who he claims has caused harm to Deve Gowda's family. "When they (the BJP) are not ready to take us into confidence, then why should we support them? They must explain their treatment of us regarding the padayatra. What are they trying to achieve? It hurts me deeply. Who is Preetham J Gowda? He's the one who tried to destroy the HD Devegowda family. They (BJP) bring him on stage and expect me to sit with him. Who is responsible for the distribution of those pen drives in Prajwal Revanna's case? Don't they know what happened in Hassan? Electoral alliances are different from politics," Kumaraswamy stated.

JDS core committee's decision

Previously, the JDS core committee meeting in Bengaluru, chaired by GT Deve Gowda, had requested the BJP to postpone the padayatra due to ongoing rains in the state. HD Kumaraswamy has now announced that his party will withdraw from the padayatra, deeming it an unsuitable time for such an event.

Concerns over timing

"The entire state is grappling with rains, landslides, and crop destruction. Undertaking a padayatra in such challenging conditions could invite criticism from the public. This is why we have decided to withdraw our support," Kumaraswamy explained. "What benefit does this padayatra bring to the people of the state? The legal battle is crucial here. Politics alone is not our focus. We cannot even offer moral support to the padayatra. Why should we support it when we are not trusted? Our party has strong support from Bengaluru to Mysuru."

Core committee's consensus

Kumaraswamy emphasized that the JDS core committee was unanimous in its decision to not join the padayatra at this time. "In the core committee meeting, our leaders discussed the padayatra in detail. Everyone agreed that it should be postponed. Hundreds of people have died due to massive landslides in Kerala's Wayanad, which borders Kodagu district.

Many more are missing. There are Red Alerts in several districts of our state. Land subsidence continues in Kodagu, Hassan, Chikkamagaluru, Uttara Kannada, and Dakshina Kannada," he noted. HD Kumaraswamy's strong stance is expected to create tension within the BJP-JDS coalition, especially as the BJP has been vocally accusing the Congress government of corruption.