Amid the infighting within the Congress party in Karnataka Congress, State Minister for Housing and Waqf B.Z. Zameer Ahmad Khan made a controversial statement saying that whoever dares to touch Chief Minister Siddaramaiah will be reduced to ashes.
The remark comes amid the ongoing discussion about power-sharing and a possible change of the party's state president. Party insiders suggest that the statement is directed at Deputy CM and Karnataka Congress President D.K. Shivakumar, as Minister Zameer is a close confidant of CM Siddaramaiah.
Speaking to reporters in Ballari on Wednesday, Minister Zameer said, "CM Siddaramaiah is like fire. If anyone dares to touch him, they will be reduced to ashes."
His statement was in response to a question regarding the power struggle within the Congress party. However, he later clarified that there is no vacancy for the posts of CM or state party president.
"D.K. Shivakumar is the KPCC President, and Siddaramaiah is the CM. No position is vacant, and there is no need for discussion," he emphasized.
Zameer further reiterated, "Can anyone even think of touching CM Siddaramaiah? He is like fire. If anyone tries, they will be burnt. We fondly call him 'Tagaru' (Ram, male sheep), and no one can challenge the fire."
As Siddaramaiah belongs to the shepherd community, his supporters affectionately refer to him as 'Tagaru' out of love and respect.
Emphasizing the Congress party's hierarchy, Zameer said, "Our party is governed by the high command. If the high command decides on a leadership change, we can express our opinions. However, as of now, no such decision has been made. Our party leaders have not demanded the replacement of CM Siddaramaiah."
He acknowledged that various communities, including Lingayats, Dalits, minorities, and SC/ST groups, aspire to have a leader from their own community as CM, but the final decision rests with the high command.
The Congress party in Karnataka is witnessing an intense power struggle, with a faction of ministers demanding the replacement of Dy CM Shivakumar as the state party chief. Most of these ministers belong to oppressed communities and are known to be close aides of CM Siddaramaiah. Ministers G. Parameshwara, K.N. Rajanna, and Satish Jarkiholi have independently travelled to Delhi, urging the high command to appoint a new state Congress president. They are reportedly frustrated over being denied permission to organize meetings of MLAs and MLCs from their respective communities.
On the other hand, Shivakumar has also visited Delhi, where, according to sources, he discussed power-sharing and made a strong pitch to retain his position as state party president at any cost. With tensions continuing to mount, all eyes are now on the Congress high command's next move.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
