Minister for Rural Development and Panchayat Raj K.S. Eshwarappa said in Belagavi on Sunday that the BJP did not follow the tradition of awarding leaders with Cabinet berths based on which community they belonged to.
Replying to questions from journalists whether the party was appointing Deputy Chief Ministers based on their castes, he said that the BJP did not follow this tradition. This is a bad trend. It has affected Indian politics for decades. It should go, he said.
“Are leaders from Kuruba community being made Ministers because Kurubas form a significant portion of the State’s population? No. Each leader’s capacity is assessed before he is made a Minister,” he said.
He said that Narendra Modi did not become Prime Minister because of his social background. “How many people in this country belong to the Prime Minister’s caste? Does anyone know,” he asked.
Mr. Eshwarappa clarified that he had not insulted any one during his interaction with flood victims in Yadur village on Saturday. “Some people are spreading false news that I told the flood victims that the ₹ 10,000 compensation that they had received was more than enough,” he said.
He later held a flood relief review meeting in the Suvarna Soudha with department officers and chief executive officers of all zilla panchayats.