G. Parameshwara
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 Home Minister G. Parameshwara’s offer to resign during a meeting on Saturday has raised eyebrows in the party circle.

At a meeting of party workers at Koratagere, his Assembly constituency, he said: “I apologise for being unable to meet your expectations. If you all say together, I will resign tomorrow. Then I can be with you.” As soon as he made this announcement, workers in chorus asked him not to do so. One of them in the audience even said: “You cannot resign and you must become the Chief Minister.” The Home Minister, who is vying for the Chief Minister’s post, is yet to offer an explanation on the context and the sudden offer to resign.

However, BJP leaders were quick to respond. While BJP State president B.Y. Vijayendra termed the offer “stupid” and said the government had been voted to maintain law and order, BJP MLC C.T. Ravi said it was the people who make a leader. Their comments came in the light of the power struggle in the Congress over the change of the Chief Minister and the KPCC president. Dr. Parameshwara is believed to be unhappy with the Congress high command for stopping the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe leaders from holding a convention.

‘No objection to convention’

Speaking on the proposed convention, Social Welfare Minister H.C. Mahadevappa said in Kalaburagi that there were no objections in the party to conduct such events. “Organising conferences and conventions are common. Political parties, civil society groups, and community organisations keep holding such events. There is no objection at all [to the proposed SC and ST convention]. As long as there are problems for Dalits, conventions, conferences, struggles and other activities will go on. This is what B.R. Ambedkar had taught. Nobody objected to the SC and ST conference. We need to take everyone into confidence when we organise such events under the party banner. Even party high command has not asked us not to organise the event,” he said.