Mangaluru, Jan 31: Claiming that there is no internal strife or groupism in the party, the newly appointed Deputy Leader of Congress Legislative Party (CLP) in Karnataka Legislative Assembly, U.T. Khader said in Mangaluru that he will discharge his duty in close coordination with CLP leader Siddaramaiah and Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee president D.K. Shivakumar.
“There are no groups in our party. We are all united and are working to safeguard the interest of Karnataka. Siddaramaiah is the CLP leader and Mr. Shivakumar, who is a member of the CLP, is supporting the former in the Legislative Assembly. Mr. Siddaramaiah is working closely with Mr. Shivakumar in managing party affairs,” he said and added that the two selected him as the Deputy Leader and the party announced it on January 30. Mr. Khader said that he will work hard to the meet the expectations of the party.
On the statement of senior Congress Leader C.M. Ibrahim that Mr. Khader has been given the opportunity following his announcement of quitting the party, Mr. Khader said party has been giving opportunity to all workers.
“I am not a person to take advantage of the absence of a person,” he said and added that the Congress is the only party, which has given opportunities to Muslim, Dalit and other party activists from different communities. “The yardstick for selection is the belief in the secular values, which the party believes in,” he said and added that there were seven Muslim ministers in the then S.M. Krishna cabinet.
On Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai’s statement that Congress workers are embroiled in fissures, Mr. Khader said Mr. Bommai should be more concerned about providing stable governance. “We have provided stable governance during the terms of S.M. Krishna and Siddaramaiah. But BJP is not able to do it as there are lot of fissures in the BJP,” he said.
Mr. Khader reiterated that senior Congress leader Mr. Ibrahim will not leave the party. “It is only his anguish over non-realisation of some of his aspirations that is making him talk against Congress. His anger will cool down and he will continue in the party,” Mr. Khader said.
He said that his selection for the post of Deputy Leader of CLP is an honour to voters of Mangaluru Assembly constituency. He thanked the party leaders for supporting him and helping him grow in the party, where he discharged various roles in the NSUI, Youth Congress and Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee.
Mr. Khader went to meet senior party leader B. Janardhana Poojary at the latter’s residence in B. C. Road. Later, he called on Mangaluru Bishop Peter Paul Saldanha at his house in Mangaluru.
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