“I don’t know who Rahul Gandhi is,” Sadhguru had once said during an interview; This is the reason, the leaders of grand old party are angry over Dy.CM D.K. Shivakumar’s visit to Isha Foundation

Bengaluru: The State politics has hit yet another controversy, with D.K. Shivakumar (DKS), the Deputy Chief Minister of State Congress Government, attending Mahashivarathri celebrations organised by Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev at his Isha Foundation in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu on Feb. 26, in which Union Home Minister Amit Shah was also the chief guest.

This has not gone down well within the Congress party, with Shivakumar being the President of Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC), hobnobbing with Jaggi Vasudev, who had once made sarcastic remarks against former AICC President Rahul Gandhi, the Opposition Leader in Lok Sabha, during a conclave, in 2014. Jaggi Vasudev had said “I don’t know who Rahul Gandhi is” during                                                  the interview.

As the video of the interview went viral again, the timing of Shivakumar’s visit to Isha Foundation has raised eyebrows, sending the political pundits into a tizzy, about the message this particular visit would convey, especially when there is a hot debate over major political churning in the offing, with Shivakumar nursing his dream of succeeding Siddaramaiah as the Chief Minister of the State.

Meanwhile, Shivakumar has reaffirmed his faith in collective leadership, reassuring that he would go by the party’s diktat, provided the party makes use of his capabilities and experience in public life.

Speaking to media persons yesterday, Shivakumar denied that he was cosying up with the BJP leaders.

“However, it is being circulated on social media, alluding at my covert talks with BJP. But being a true Congressman, I believe in following my personal feelings. I love and respect all religions. I am a born Hindu, and prefer to live and die as a Hindu,” clarified Shivakumar.

On the other hand, Leader of Opposition in the Legislative Assembly R. Ashok has termed Shivakumar as Karnataka’s Eknath Shinde (who led the splinter group of Shiv Sena MLAs to form a Government of his own in Maharashtra with the support of BJP and later Ajit Pawar led faction of Nationalist Congress Party (NCP)).

Former Chief Minister and Haveri MP Basavaraj Bommai said, there is no discussion about Shivakumar joining BJP, in the party circle.