Two Cabinet Ministers in the State BJP Government – Minister for Youth Empowerment and Sports K.C. Narayana Gowda and Health and Family Welfare Minister K. Sudhakar – are often at loggerheads. In the latest instance, what got Mr. Gowda’s goat was a statement by Mr. Sudhakar on the party’s electoral defeat in Mandya in the Legislative Council elections. “It is unfortunate that the BJP candidate was defeated in Mandya. We will introspect on the defeat in the party forum,” said the Health Minister. An irked Mr. Gowda hit back. “Who is Mr. Sudhakar to comment about the defeat in Mandya? Let him speak about his Chickballapur constituency,” he said. Explaining reasons for the BJP’s defeat, Mr. Gowda claimed that it was all because the Congress candidate spent loads of money. In November, both Ministers, who joined BJP in 2019, indulged in a verbal duel over sanctioning of health projects. Mr. Gowda pulled up Mr. Sudhakar at the Cabinet meeting for diverting developmental projects to Chickballapur district represented by the latter.
‘Wit’ and womanhood
Former Speaker K.R. Ramesh Kumar’s insensitive and crass remarks on rape hit national headlines recently. However, another statement made by none other than Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai in the ongoing Winter session, not respectful to womanhood, hardly drew any attention. It happened when the Chief Minister tried to be “witty” while replying to a question raised by party colleague Ayanur Manjunath. Mr. Manjunath had a question on childcare leave and maternity leave facility meant for women employees of the State Government.
He said that if all women employees in one of the departments, go on maternity leave at a time, the administration would suffer and the public would undergo “delivery pain”. The Chief Minister then sought to know if there was “any mechanism” to ensure all women employees of a department go on maternity leave at one time and also asked whether Mr. Manjunath would take responsibility for it. Mr. Manjunath said that Mr. Bommai was adept at diverting the issue by making such remarks, as he had close association with former Chief Minister the late J.H. Patel, known for his quick wit. What exactly constitutes “wit” is a debatable question, but there was no reaction to this banter either inside or outside the House.
Mask... what’s that?
Is Belagavi city free of COVID-19? One would get such a doubt, considering hardly anyone wears mask in this border town though public spaces remain crowded. What’s more, even officials who have to enforce compulsory mask wearing, are often seen without them.
Political leaders, who pontificate on the need to follow COVID protocol, too have become complacent. This is the situation even though Belagavi, being a border district with Maharashtra, needs to exercise more caution. The fact that the Winter session is currently on in the city appears to have made little difference.
Nagesh Prabhu
Sathish G.T.
B.S. Satish Kumar
