HD Kumaraswamy says Congress shouldn’t treat JD(S) like ‘third-grade citizens’ 

HD Kumaraswamy.

The Karnataka chief minister, HD Kumaraswamy, who is heading the Janata Dal (Secular)-Congress coalition government in the state said his party, JD(S), should not get the treatment of “third-grade citizens” from the Congress. He said both the parties should adopt the policy of “give and take” to be united in the fight against the Bharatiya Janata Party.

Talking to PTI, on Monday, the chief minister said both the parties are expected to hold talks on the tricky seat-sharing issue and stressed that there should not be any “pettiness” on both sides.

When asked whether the JD(S) would go it alone if seat-sharing talks fail, Kumaraswamy said, “Both of us (JD(S) and Congress) should go together (in the Lok Sabha election) is our opinion … because the reason behind forming this (Karnataka) government is to stop the BJP from coming to power and improve the atmosphere in the country ...”

He further said the after the formation of the coalition government in Karnataka, a lot of changes had taken place in the country’s political landscape, including the BJP’s downslide and Congress victory in some byelections and assembly elections in three states.

Warning the Congress of “overconfidence” he said, “In my opinion if Congress loses its way and tries to move with overconfidence, what will happen they will understand, with their past political experience, I do not think they will forget them … They should treat us respectfully. They should not treat us as third grade citizens. There should be give and take policy.”

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