AHINDA communities warn Congress against unseating Siddaramaiah

Bengaluru: The Karnataka State Federation of Backward Class Communities (KSFBCC) has warned Congress that any attempt to unseat Chief Minister Siddaramaiah in the wake of power strife in the state will have a bearing on the party.

The state is witnessing a power tussle between Siddaramaiah and his deputy D K Shivakumar, who is aspiring to become the next Chief Minister.

Addressing reporters here, KSFBCC president K M Ramachandrappa said AHINDA (Kannada acronym for minorities backward classes and Dalits communities) is deeply pained to see the development taking place.

He recalled the statement of Karnataka Rajya Vokkaligara Sangha president L Srinivas who had said in a press conference on Thursday that the Congress high command should consider giving ‘coolie’ (token of reward) for the work Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar has done by toiling hard to bring the party to power.

Ramachandrappa said Shivakumar has already got ‘Coolie’ for the work he did in the form of position as the Deputy Chief Minister.

He said even religious heads are also participating in this discussion and are threatening that they will also be part of the chorus seeking removal of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.

"These threats are not new ones but have been happening for very long time. Since the independence it has been happening. We the downtrodden community will not bow down to these threats," KSFBCC president said.

Due to these developments, Ahinda is deeply pained, he said.

Expressing his fear, he said, "Those against the caste census can unseat the chief minister, we can only assume how they will behave with our communities".

He added that they are witnessing the way AHINDA communities are being treated and are getting representation in the government and society.

He said, "If this development continues further, then we warn that it will be problematic for Congress in the coming days. AHINDA category will not sit idly.”

“If the pontiffs and the Vokkaliga Sangha is ready to stage agitation then we will also not leave our leader. The 70 per cent population of AHINDA communities had offered support to this government. We will not tolerate attempts to bring down a leader from the AHINDA community,” Ramachandrappa said.