The controversial alliance between the Janata Dal (S) and its bête noire BJP in Mysore Zilla Panchayat resonated here on Sunday when a large number of agitated Congress workers attempted to storm the JD(S) office near Ananda Rao Circle.
“The JD(S), which professes secularism, stands exposed yet again after it tied up with communal forces,” said KPCC general secretary M. Ramachandrappa, who led the protest.
The JD(S), which was in talks with the Congress to share power in the hung Mysore Zilla Panchayat, sprang a surprise by aligning with the BJP at the eleventh hour on Friday and grabbed the post of president, leaving the vice-president's post to the BJP.
Congress activists, who gathered at the Mahatma Gandhi statue near racecourse and shouted slogans against JD(S) leader H.D. Kumaraswamy, were arrested when they began marching towards the JD(S) office.
“After joining hands with the BJP for the sake of power, Mr. Kumaraswamy has the temerity to blame the Congress,” he told The Hindu later. The other issue, which raised the hackles of the Congress workers, was the critical remarks made by Mr. Kumaraswamy against their leader D.K. Shivakumar.
Mr. Kumaraswamy told this correspondent that there was no need for the people of the State to suspect the secular credentials of the JD(S). “I had instructed the JD(S) leaders in Mysore to go for a tie-up with the Congress. But, when the local Congress leaders adopted an arrogant stand, the talks broke down. The JD(S) leaders in Mysore, who were forced to join hands with the BJP, informed me about their decision only later,” he said.
However, Mr. Kumaraswamy sought to make it clear that the arrangement between the JD(S) and BJP in Mysore was “localised and temporary.”
