Staff Reporter
“People are enjoying the fruits of administration”
MADURAI: The Karnataka Chief Minister and the Deputy Chief Minister should decide on the transfer of power from Janata Dal (Secular) to its ally Bharatiya Janata Party, former Prime Minister H. D. Deve Gowda said on Saturday.
Refusing to comment on whether the ruling JD (S) would transfer power to the BJP in October as per the power sharing agreement between the allies, Mr. Gowda told reporters it was for the Chief Minister and the Deputy Chief Minister to decide.
Mr. Gowda was here to address a public meeting organised by his party to celebrate the birth anniversary of former Chief Minister K. Kamaraj.
Asked to rate the Karnataka Government, he said, “Who am I? Let the masters (the people) decide it.” It was neither implementing the JD (S) policy or the BJP policy, but welfare measures. “People are enjoying the fruits of administration.”
The former Prime Minister said his party was keeping equidistance from the Congress and the BJP since 1999.
On the Indo-US nuclear agreement, Mr. Gowda said all parties (including the Left), other than the United Progressive Alliance, were opposing it.
“But the Prime Minister says that it cannot be reviewed. That is where the issue stands… We are totally against any decision that would surrender the country’s sovereignty.”
Mr. Gowda said he was also opposed to the UPA’s foreign policy. “Are we friendly with any of our neighbours?”
His opinion on the Government’s handling of poverty (alleviation) and unemployment was the same.
