Bengaluru, March 10 Opposition BJP leaders criticized Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar in the Legislative Assembly on Tuesday, questioning his absence during the pre-budget meetings and his silence on the state budget presented by CM Siddaramaiah last week.
Leader of Opposition R Ashoka and senior BJP MLA Sunil Kumar's remarks on Shivakumar's alleged silence regarding the budget appeared aimed at mocking the power struggle between him and Siddaramaiah over the CM issue, amid speculation about a leadership change after the ongoing budget session.
It all began when Ashoka attacked Siddaramaiah's budget presentation, calling it an "empty vessel" or "Khaali Chambu," and asked Shivakumar why he suddenly went to New Delhi on Sunday.
The Deputy CM retorted by questioning, "Should we then call the budget presented by Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman an empty drum?"
Pointing to the BJP's protest by holding a 'Khaali Chambu' on Budget day, Shivakumar further said, "Even before the budget was presented, you (BJP) had kept the Chambus ready. If you had gotten it after the budget presentation, it would have been fine, but you had planned it beforehand. This shows your thinking."
Kumar said, "You (Shivakumar) did not attend the pre-budget meetings with the chief minister. I went through newspaper coverage on the day after the budget. There is not even a single comment of yours. I did not understand what was happening. You did not attend the pre-budget meetings of both your departments (water resources and Bengaluru Development). There is no comment of yours in the papers saying whether the budget is good or bad."
Reacting, Shivakumar said, "I have said whatever I had to say."
To this, Ashoka retorted, "He (Shivakumar) had said whatever he had to say (to the Congress high command) when he went to Delhi."
Shivakumar's visit to New Delhi on Sunday had once again triggered speculation, linking it to a possible leadership change in the state, after the Legislature's Budget Session.