The chief minister HD Kumaraswamy addressing the media at Karnataka Bhavan. Express Photo Renuka Puri.
While Kerala’s political class is being lauded for its exemplary service in the face of disaster, in neighbouring Karnataka, two videos that have gone viral have blown up in the face of Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy and his brother H D Revanna, the state PWD minister. In the first, shot at a relief centre in Ramanathapura, Hassan district, Revanna is shown standing in a room full of rain-affected victims and then tossing biscuit packets at flood-affected people who had huddled there for shelter. The second is a clip of Kumaraswamy with his face buried in a newspaper, his back turned to the window of the helicopter while carrying out an aerial survey of the flood situation on Monday. Later, videos of the CM peering out of the helicopter was also tweeted by several accounts. Though not as severe as in neighboring Kerala, excessive rain has led to extensive damage of roads, property and life in several districts of Karnataka, especially in Kodagu.
The 45-second video clip of Revanna has led to a deluge of criticism of what is perceived as the JD(S) leader’s insensitive and near-feudal gesture. “He might not have had bad intentions, but politicians should conduct themselves with humility. It is our responsibility to serve the people,” said J Preetham Gowda, BJP MLA from Hassan. Janata Dal (Secular) patriarch H D Deve Gowda, however, defended his elder son Revanna, and described the outcry as an “attempt to break and hurt our family”.
The former Prime Minister explained, “It was a small space. People were all standing – about four-five feet away, but not in a queue. He was unable to distribute it individually, especially to those at the back. He threw the packets towards them so that they could catch them. One mediaperson, who is linked to the BJP, said Revanna threw food, and then one news channel started saying the same….”
Accusing the media of being against Kumaraswamy since the day he became the chief minister, Deve Gowda said, “The BJP has attacked him on the loan waiver issue for two months now. They are now trying to make it (flood relief videos) into an issue.”
Deve Gowda pointed out that Revanna was “one of the first ministers to plunge into relief work, even before the chief minister.”
He said, “That day, he had been on the road from 9 am. He pressed officers of his own department, police officers and private contractors on the job. He organised 30,000 litres of milk from Hassan Milk Dairy, distributed 200 quintals of rice in the affected areas… A person is doing his job, taking all measures, but there is still criticism.”
Chief Minister Kumaraswamy also contended that his brother’s demeanour was a small issue that is being blown up needlessly by those “bent on mischief”. To those sniggering at the video of his aerial survey on social media, Kumaraswamy clarified that the helicopter he had boarded took off from Mysuru in the direction of Kodagu at 11.18 am on Monday. “It took about 30 minutes for us to reach Kodagu. So during that time, I was catching up on the newspapers. It is as simple as that,” he said.