A few days after Congress leader Satish Jarkiholi said he would reject an offer to be made a Minister, JD(S) leader Basavaraj Horatti said he does not want to accept the responsibility of Legislative Council Chairman, even if it were to be offered to him.
“I don’t want a position where you do nothing but sit idle and listen to speeches. I wanted to be the Education Minister as I wanted to contribute to the field. I have been a member of the Legislative Council seven times and been a loyal member of the JD(S) for 38 years. There is not a single blot on my career. I was hoping to be a Minister. I am upset that I have not been included in the Cabinet,’’ he told presspersons in Belagavi. Mr. Horatti said that party leader H.D. Deve Gowda had told some party workers that he would be appointed the Council Chairman. “But no one from the party has told me anything about this,’’ he said.
“Teachers in the State are suffering from so many problems. They have been electing me to the Council all these years. I could serve them if I was made a Minister,’’ the former Education Minister said.
North Karnataka
“North Karnataka has not got the necessary representation in this government. This is not my individual opinion. The ordinary people are feeling so. This backward region should have got more berths in the Cabinet,” he said.
Lingayat issue
He suspected that all leaders who were involved in the movement for separate religion status for Lingayatism were kept away from the government. “Some politically oriented mutt heads led a campaign of falsehood against us. That sent a negative message about the movement. We led the movement only to help members of our community. We fought for our identity just as members of other faiths fight for their identities. We have done no wrong. We have committed no crime,’’ he said. There are some media reports that the Union government wants to return the recommendation made by the Siddaramaiah government. “We will discuss the issue and come to a conclusion,” he said.