Karnataka: Siddaramaiah says coalition with JD(S) led to loss for Congress

Former Karnataka Chief Minister and Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader Siddaramaiah on Friday said the formation of the coalition government with Janata Dal (Secular) in the state was a loss for Congress, and because of it the party lost 14 of its MLAs.

In a series of tweets, the former chief minister said that Congress has a stronghold in Karnataka noting that the results of recent Gram Panchayat polls proved it.

"It was more of loss than gain for Karnataka Congress due to the formation of coalition govt with JD(S). Had we not formed a coalition govt, we would not have lost our 14 MLAs," he tweeted.

"Congress is a strong party in Karnataka. Recent Gram Panchayat results are an example for the same. This indicates the direction of the next assembly election results as well. This fact will never change," Siddaramaiah said.

He further said that India would still be under British rule if the Indian National Congress had not fought for independence under the leadership of Mahatma Gandhi.

"This is the history of Indian National Congress. Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders are not freedom fighters but they are only the beneficiaries of Independence," Siddaramaiah tweeted.

He further claimed that Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa was trying to spread Sanathana Dharma in Karnataka in the name of Anubhava Mantapa.

"Our government had formed a committee under the chairmanship of G R Chennabasappa to re-establish the philosophy of Basavanna by constructing Anubhava Mantapa. But now, the Anubhava Mantapa which is being constructed by Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa is against the principles of Basavanna," he tweeted.

"Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa is attempting to spread Sanathana Dharma in the name of Anubhava Mantapa. This is the idea of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh and Yediyurappa has fallen for it. Anubhava Mantapa should resonate with the ideas of Basavanna and not that of Sanathana Dharma," Siddaramaiah further stated.

According to the CLP leader, Basavanna spread the idea of equality and social justice. "He fought against evil practices like caste system, untouchability & gender discrimination which was practiced in Sanathana Dharma."

Basavanna was the 12th-century Lingayat saint and Bhakti poet, who spread the concept of Anubhava Mantapa (Centre for Experience), which was the socio-religious centre that existed in the present-day Basava Kalyana of Bidar district in Karnataka.

Anubhava Mantapa is regarded as the first religious parliament in the history of mankind. This 12th-century centre has a special significance in the history of humty, as it represents composite culture, philosophy, spirituality, equality among other universal human values.On January 6, Yediyurappa laid the foundation of 'New Anubhava Mantapa' in Basavakalyan, the place where Basaveshwara lived for most of his life.

( With inputs from ANI )