Mysuru: MLC A.H. Vishwanath took strong exception to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah addressing the Vijayanagar District Deputy Commissioner (DC) disrespectfully in singular term and asking him to vacate the chair he was occupying at the function.

Addressing a press meet at Jaladarshini Guest House here this morning, Vishwanath charged Siddaramaiah of behaving in an arrogant manner when dealing with top officials.

Accusing Siddaramaiah of insulting the Vijayanagar DC M.S. Divakara at a private function where the DC need not follow the official protocol, the MLC questioned why the CM, who displayed his arrogance in public,  was hesitant to act against the two former MUDA Commissioners, who had indulged in large-scale corruption and malpractices during their stint.

Maintaining that  Siddaramaiah had no guts to act against the two former MUDA Commissioners, he urged the CM to stop insulting bureaucrats in public.

“Siddaramaiah has been playing the AHINDA card and caste census card only for protecting him whenever a crisis arose that challenged his political authority. I don’t know whether the CM has read the socio-economic status (popularly known as caste census) report. Siddaramaiah has been only spreading lies and buying time just to save himself from the political onslaught by his opponents.”

Instead of behaving in an audacious manner, he should take steps for carrying out caste census, he said adding that the late former CM D. Devaraj Urs never displayed arrogance when in power and Siddaramaiah should take a cue from this.