We weep because we know poverty, says Deve Gowda

Stating that he will not rest till he gets rid of the Congress government in the State, former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda, whose family has been taunted by Congress leaders for weeping in public, on Friday said his family has “inherited tears because the family has come up from poverty”.

“I will not say anything to those who are taunting us. We are aware of the problem of farmers and the poor. Those who respond to problems will have the heart of a mother. Our family understands poverty and problems,” the former Prime Minister told presspersons at Pandavapura in Mandya district, recalling his early years of poverty. “When a farmer is in trouble, we weep.”

Targeting Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar, he alleged that the former had “worked for underworld don Kotwal Ramachandra for ₹100 but is now the president of the party that had been presided over by people like Jawaharlal Nehru and Indira Gandhi.”

His reaction came after former Bengaluru Rural MP D.K. Suresh taunted the family for shedding tears in public for the sake of votes, and Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said that NDA candidate for the Channapatna Assembly seat byelection Nikhil Kumaraswamy has been tutored to “continue with the family’s tradition of weeping”.

Silence over Prajwal

The Chief Minister had also questioned the silence of the former Prime Minister’s family over the sexual assault cases allegedly involving former MP Prajwal Revanna, and had sought to know why Mr. Gowda, Mr. Nikhil Kumaraswamy, and Union Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy had not shed tears for the sexual assault victims.

Published - November 08, 2024 10:10 pm IST