Bengaluru, May 3: Responding to reports of some former Congress legislators including Cheluvaraya Swamy and Ramesh Bandisidde Gowda participating in a dinner party with Sumalatha on April 30 and angry reaction to it by some JD(S) leaders, former chief minister and chairman of coalition government’s coordination committee, Siddaramaiah, said he would like to get to know why the meeting took place. He said there is nothing wrong or serious if it was an informal meeting.
At the same time, one of the participants in the meeting, former minister and Congress leader, Cheluvaraya Swamy, claimed that recording of the video of a few friends meeting over a dinner and releasing the footage to the media is a serious offence. He asked the city police to investigate the incident in all seriousness. He was addressing a press conference he had convened in the city after the video of him and other leaders of his party joining Sumalatha Ambareesh for dinner in a hotel having been aired by some television channels, on Thursday May 2.
“We did not commit a crime in joining together. We went to the party as we could not attend the birthday party hosted by our friend from Mandya, Sachidananda. Sumalatha also came there, and we have no right to ask her to go away. We are not saying that Kumaraswamy got it released by influence. But can CCTV footage reach the media without any influence and pressure?” he wondered.
Cheluvaraya Swamy also said that evidences to complain against him and other Congress leaders have been put together by vested interests. “Let us see how long Kumaraswamy can restrain the Congress. We are followed by intelligence officials everywhere. Are we terrorists?” he questioned.
He asked the chief minister not to worry about the said meeting, as officials and their wives have campaigned for Nikhil for the first time in Mandya’s history during the election. He said that in tune with the JD(S) leaders’ wishes, he and his friends did not work for the JD(S) candidate’s victory. He pointed out even the district in-charge minister did not have the courtesy to talk to him and seek support. He clarified that he and his group did not campaign for Sumalatha and instead, always asked people to vote for a candidate of their own choice.
He said that Kumaraswamy had not invited him and other Congress leaders to the dais when announcing the candidature of his son. “Instead, Kumaraswamy accused us of stabbing from behind. How can we campaign for such a person? Why should be maintain distance from Sumalatha even after the election is over?” he wanted to know.
