Karnataka coalition on collision course

The coalition partners JD (S) and BJP in Karnataka appear to be heading towards a collision course on the controversial Shobha Yatra during the Datta Peetha celebrations at the hill shrine of Bababudangiri in Chickmagalur.

While the JD (S) has made it amply clear that the Government will not allow the Shobha Yatra during the celebrations, the President of BJP’s Karnataka unit D V Sadananda Gowda came down heavily on Home Minister M P Prakash, who belongs to the JD (S), for taking a “unilateral” decision in the matter.

Sadananda Gowda also criticized JD (S) supremo and former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda for stating that the Government should maintain status-quo at the disputed shrine. “Our relationship is only with Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy and we will talk only to him. Deve Gowda cannot run the Government”, the BJP leader said.

Meanwhile, Home Minister M P Prakash has already given instructions to the police not to allow any rituals or programmes that were not observed during the Datta Jayanthi celebrations held last year when the Congress-led coalition was at the helm of affairs. “We will allow only those programmes that were held last year. No new programme will be allowed this year”, he said when asked whether the Government will allow the BJP to take out the Shobha Yatra this year.

With the JD (S) and BJP adopting diverse stands on the Shobha Yatra, scheduled to be taken out on October 2, difference of opinion among the coalition partners has come to the forefront.