Bengaluru: Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Monday said, he was both surprised and saddened by JD(S) patriarch H.D. Deve Gowda’s statement that a CM representing six crore people should not question a Prime Minister who represents a hundred crore people. He was referring to a statement by Deve Gowda, a former PM, at a NDA rally in Mysuru on Sunday, when he shared stage with PM Narendra Modi.

“Respected H.D. Deve Gowda, I am both surprised and saddened by your statement that a Chief Minister representing six crore people should not question a Prime Minister who represents a hundred crore people,” Siddaramaiah said in a statement.

He said, “You have led a regional party for many years and have been a consistent critic of the Union Government and the Prime Ministers. Why, then, do you choose to adopt such a submissive stance at this stage in your life?”

Pointing out to Deve Gowda that we are part of a federal democracy where the PM is not an autocrat, nor is a CM a mere subordinate, the CM said both hold positions of equal stature, irrespective of their age.

“It’s worth noting that just a few months ago, your son, H.D. Kumaraswamy — who is at least 10 years younger to Narendra Modi and was merely an MLA at the time — used harsh language to criticise PM Modi. This has not been forgotten by the people of our State, and likely not by you either,” he said.

“Why did you not advise your son against criticising the Prime Minister, who represents a 100 crore people? The people of our State are well aware that these actions were motivated by convenience,” he added.

Suggesting that it is everyone’s right to oppose and question the Union Government and the Prime Minister when the State Government is treated unfairly, the CM said, “I presume you recall the language Narendra Modi used against then PM Dr. Manmohan Singh when the former was the CM of Gujarat.”

When Deve Gowda was Prime Minister, Kannadigas swelled with pride, Siddaramaiah said, they praised him whenever he confronted the Union Government to protect the State’s land, water and language against the Prime Ministers of those times.

“Particularly in the current instance where the Prime Minister seems to act vindictively against Southern States, including Karnataka, simply because these States did not support his party, you were expected to lead our resistance,” he said.

“It is not too late to amend your ways and speak out against the injustices inflicted on Kannadigas by the Union Government,” the CM said.