Did not mean to show disrespect to people: Kumaraswamy on Cong's mercy remarks

Clarifying his remarks that he was at the "mercy" of the Congress and not the people, Karnataka Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy today said he did not mean to show disrespect to the people but stress the fact that his continuance in the post depended on the coalition partner.

Kumaraswamy, who met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and top Congress leaders in the national capital, said he was committed to waive farm loans or else he would retire from politics.

He urged the people not to fall prey to "BJP's conspiracy".

The JD(S) leader, who was sworn in as Karnataka Chief Minister last week after the Congress extended support to his party, said he was ready with the guidelines on farm loan waiver, details of which would be disclosed on Wednesday.

"I am the chief minister who has the responsibility to six-and-half crore people of the state. My remark that I am at the mercy of the Congress party meant that I am Chief Minister as long as their support is with me, and to run any programmes I will need their support is what I said," he said, while seeking to clarify his remarks which evoked sharp criticism from the BJP.

"In a coalition government, I never said it won't be possible to waive farm loan. What I had said was that in a coalition government, whatever decisions have to be taken would be in consultation and with permission from coalition partner Congress.

"Why are you (media) spreading that Kumaraswamy took a U-turn or right turn, I don't understand...Don't twist my statements and confuse people," he said on the BJP's criticism.

Slamming his opponents for giving a twist to his remarks, Kumaraswamy said that in the run-up to the assembly polls, he had asked the people to give him a clear mandate so that he could work independently under the obligation of people. "My appeal was rejected by the people of the state," he told reporters here.

PTI