Will not visit Delhi without invite, says Siddaramaiah

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Wednesday said he would not travel to New Delhi unless he is formally invited. His comments come after Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar visited New Delhi on Wednesday to attend a wedding and to plan for a party event.

The two leaders recently displayed bonhomie by hosting breakfast for each other at their residences in Bengaluru to quell speculation about leadership change in the State.

While the Deputy CM flew to Delhi, Siddaramaiah reached Mangaluru to take part in an event to commemorate the centenary of social reformer Narayana Guru’s meeting with Mahatma Gandhi.

Congress general secretary KC Venugopal also attended the Mangaluru event. Later, Siddaramaiah had a meeting and lunch with Venugopal.

Before heading to Kaveri Guest House here, Siddaramaiah told the media that he would not go to Delhi without an invitation. When reporters pointed out that Shivakumar was going to Delhi, he replied, “Let him go. Has anyone said no to him?” Asked if he would go, he firmly said, “I will go only when I am invited. I was not invited, so I am not going.”

He added that if there is any direction from the party high command for a meeting in Delhi, it would be conveyed through Venugopal.

Before his departure, Shivakumar said he was travelling to Delhi to attend a marriage. He also mentioned plans for a discussion at the Congress headquarters regarding a grand event on December 14 in Delhi’s Ramleela Maidan on the ‘Vote Chori’ campaign.

“On December 14, the ‘Vote Chori’ event is happening in Delhi. So, we are taking at least 300 workers from each district to Delhi. We have to take part in large numbers. I have told the district units to make arrangements to take them to Delhi,” Shivakumar told the media before flying to Delhi.

Regarding Siddaramaiah’s meeting with Venugopal, Shivakumar questioned, “What’s wrong in CM meeting Venugopal, Rahul Gandhi or Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge?” Responding to a question on his supporters’ indulging in sloganeering at the Mangaluru airport after Venugopal’s arrival, he asked, “What is wrong in it?”