Congress downplays discontent in Karnataka

New Delhi, June 21: Congress on Wednesday,June 22 downplayed the discontent in Karnataka in the aftermath of the ministry reshuffle which saw actor-turned-politician Ambareesh hit out at Chief Minister Siddaramaiah wondering "are we like slippers to use and throw away?" "I do not find this a very serious situation what is happening in Karnataka.

This reshuffle is a long pending thing and...Reshuffle is one thing that is prerogative of the Chief Minister," party spokesman P C Chacko said. Noting that the party has a "very senior person" as the Chief Minister there, he said

Siddaramaiah has consulted all the senior leaders and also the high command before carrying out the exercise. Ambareesh who resigned as MLA after being dropped as minister, hit out at Siddaramaiah over the move, saying "are we like slippers to use and throw away?" "...we should have been sent in a dignified way.

That is only my objection nothing else. Are we like slippers to use and then throw away?" he said, as the ruling Congress grappled with the flare up of discontent in the aftermath of Sunday's major ministry reshuffle.

The rejig that saw 14 ministers being axed and 13 others inducted to give a face-lift to the three-year-old Siddaramaiah government before 2018 Assembly polls has created problems for the chief minister who took up the exercise after getting Congress high command's nod.

PTI