Kumaraswamy also said his outburst was due to the poor way the border dispute pertaining to Belagavi was handled.
India
oi-Deepika S
Bengaluru,
Feb
07:
Former
Karnataka
Chief
Minister
HD
Kumaraswamy
kicked
up
controversy
with
his
comment
that
the
“RSS
is
planning
to
make
a
Brahmin
candidate
as
the
Chief
Minister
in
the
state”.
Though
the
JD(S)
leader
sought
to
clarify
his
statements
by
stating
that
he
had
no
objections
to
a
Brahmin
becoming
the
Chief
Minister,
his
comment
targeting
Union
Minister
for
Mine,
Coal
and
Parliamentary
Affairs
Pralhad
Joshi,
has
set
off
massive
debate
in
poll-bound
Karnataka.
BJP
leader
and
Karnataka
Revenue
Minister
R
Ashoka
strongly
condemned
JD(S)
leader
HD
Kumaraswamy’s
derogatory
remarks
on
Brahmins.
Demanding
an
apology
from
the
Brahmin
community
he
said,
“While
It
seems
that
he
is
speaking
out
of
helplessness
and
frustration
knowing
that
JD-S
will
lose
in
the
next
election.
I
demand
that
he
immediately
apologize
to
the
Brahmin
community.”
Karnataka
Higher
Education
Minister
Dr
Ashwathnarayan
CN
said,
“Giving
statements
against
a
person
based
on
caste
is
condemnable.
He
should
apologise.”
“Harmony
should
be
there
in
politics.
He
can’t
go
to
any
extent
to
say
whatever
he
wants,”
he
added.
“I
never
did
caste-based
politics.
I
never
asked
people
their
caste
whenever
they
approached
me
for
help.
I
am
not
the
one
who
insults
people
for
their
caste.
The
Brahmin
community
is
leading
life
in
a
cultured
manner,”
Kumaraswamy
clarified
days
after
the
statement
sparked
a
controversy
drawing
criticism.
Explaining
further,
the
JD(S)
leader
said
he
had
only
referred
to
those
who
had
attacked
the
Chandramauleshwara
temple
in
Sringeri,
a
section
which
assassinated
Mahatma
Gandhi
and
Maratha
ruler
Shivaji.
He
said
those
who
were
behind
these
incidents
were
not
from
Karnataka
but
neighbouring
state
of
Maharashtra.
Showing
the
portrait
of
Adiguru
Shankaracharya,
who
had
established
the
Sringeri
Peeth,
which
adorns
his
office,
the
JD(S)
leader
said,
“You
can
see
whose
photographs
we
have
in
our
office.
The
same
photographs
you
can
find
in
my
bedroom
as
well.”
Two
days
ago,
Kumaraswamy
had
claimed
that
RSS
was
“conspiring”
to
make
Joshi,
who
is
Union
Minister
for
Coal
and
Mines,
the
chief
minister
of
Karnataka
along
with
eight
deputies
after
the
Assembly
polls,
and
alleged
the
latter
belonged
to
a
category
among
Brahmins,
who
lacked
culture
and
divides
society.
Coming
down
heavily
on
Joshi
for
criticising
JD(S)’ dynasty
politics
and
its
‘Pancharatna
Ratha
Yatra’,
the
former
Chief
Minister
had
said
he
(Joshi)
belongs
to
a
Brahmin
sect
to
which
Maratha
Peshwas
belonged
that
had
allegedly
destroyed
Sringeri
Math,
established
by
Adi
Shankaracharya
and
desecrated
the
idol
there,
and
also
that
killed
Gandhi.