D.K. Shivakumar
| Photo Credit: File photo
“The Opposition is accusing me of taking U-turns on decisions such as the Karnataka Government Parks (Preservation) (Amendment) Bill. They can accuse me of anything. But I want to tell them that the people of the State have given me the authority to take an S-turn,” Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar said at Kudal Sangam in Bagalkot district on Friday.“There is no question of prestige in withdrawing any Bill or government decision. What is important to me is public interest and people’s opinion of our decisions. People have given me the power to take S-turns. Let us see what turn to take next,” he said.“I wanted to explain every aspect of the Parks Amendment Bill on the floor of the House. But the Opposition did not allow the session to function properly. Had there been a detailed discussion, I would have given suitable answers to all their questions. The Bill was being brought in the public interest. If necessary, I would have formed a committee to take a decision. The Bill had the approval of the House. But we decided to withdraw it in view of public opinion on certain issues,” he said.He dismissed the BJP’s claim that Minister B. Nagendra had resigned because of its protests. Speaking to reporters, Mr. Shivakumar said Mr. Nagendra had resigned to save the State government from embarrassment. “However, despite his resignation, he will remain our leader. There is no doubt about that,” he said.“Due to some rainfall in north Karnataka and Maharashtra, some water has flowed into the Krishna river, but other reservoirs such as the KRS are yet to fill up completely. Meanwhile, people in Tamil Nadu began seeking water for their crops. I took the decision after consulting Yathindra Siddaramaiah and N. Cheluvarayaswamy. Instead of releasing water from the KRS, we began releasing it from the Kabini dam. We are committed to protecting the interests of the farmers of our State,” he said.“The Siddaramaiah government had decided not to accept the recommendations of the Kasturirangan report. But the Union government has issued a notification contrary to this decision and given us 60 days to convey our views. Our position now has to be formulated after taking the views of all parties into account. Since there is a BJP government at the Centre, it is necessary to take the BJP into confidence and hold discussions in the interest of the State. It is ironic that leaders who did not speak during the just-concluded session are now demanding a seven-day special session,” he said.“I welcome the BJP’s padayatra. Whenever the Opposition protests against us, it means we are strong,” he said in response to a question.“Let BJP leaders undertake four more such yatras. They should also organise a Pashchattapa Padayatra as penance for their sins. The people of the State have already rejected them. I do not worry much about such things,” he said.“I believe that the more powerful we are, the more opponents we will have. If we are not powerful, we will have no enemies. In a democracy, it is natural for both the Opposition and the people to keep an eye on those who work hard,” he said. Published - September 04, 2026 09:08 pm IST
