The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : Veteran Congress leaders warned against inertia

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Wednesday, Nov 19, 2008
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Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

Veteran Congress leaders warned against inertia

Special Correspondent

Shivakumar says such functionaries will be eased out

State-level leaders to be under microscope next
‘Those who enjoyed power should work for the party now’

D.K. Shivakumar

BANGALORE: Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) working president D.K. Shivakumar on Tuesday made it clear to those who were given important positions at the district and block levels in the party but were not active should make way for others.

He was speaking to presspersons after meeting the former Chief Minister and MP S.M. Krishna and Maharashtra Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh here.

Mr. Shivakumar, who called it a “VRS” (voluntary retirement scheme), said the work of identifying such leaders was on.

They would be told to correct themselves and if they failed to do it, they would be asked to leave, he said.

‘Trap for MP’

Asked whether this norm would apply to the former Deputy Chief Minister Siddaramiah, who had been aloof from the party for a long time, Mr. Shivakumar said they were concentrating on district and block levels and once it was over, the State leaders would be asked to pull up their socks. His attention was drawn to the statement of Labour Minister B.N. Bache Gowda that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had “laid a trap” on the Congress leader Ambareesh, a Congress MP.

The KPCC working president said that many had been ministers, legislators, chairmen/chairpersons of boards and corporations and heads of party units, thanks to the largesse showered by the Congress. Now, it was time for them to strengthen the party.

Mr. Ambareesh was a three-time MP and a Union Minister and it was his duty to serve it, when it needed him, Mr. Shivakumar added.

“We cannot afford to lose time and we have to go to the people, as the State Government has failed on all fronts to deliver goods. It is not enough, if it gives Rs. 1,000 to each farmer and wash off its hands,” he added.

Mr. Shivakumar criticised the Janata Dal (Secular) for organising such a mammoth rally here putting lakhs of people to hardship on Monday. Perhaps, he said that this was the way in which the Janata Dal (Secular) leaders wanted to show their might to the people.

Congress example

He said he and KPCC president R.V. Deshpande organised the function at Doddaballapur.

The then KPCC President Mallikarjun Kharge had apologised to the people for similar mistakes. He said the party meetings would be held in Raichur and Gulbarga on November 25 and the leaders from different areas in these two regions would be invited for a discussion.

Why should they come all the way to Bangalore and inconvenience people, here, he asked.

Deve Gowda criticised

He criticised the former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda for stating that he would hold the neck of the Prime Minister and make him release funds to Karnataka, if his party was elected from 20 Lok Sabha segments and said that “it was not in good taste”.

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