"He (Siddaramaiah) is a mean Chief Minister," Gowdasaid while complaining that he was not given an opportunity to speak during the inauguration of Mahamastakabhisheka of Lord Gommateshwara Bahubali at Shravanabelagola on February 7, which was attended by President Ram Nath Kovind.
Stating that his name was printed on the invitation as former Prime Minister and Chief Minister and as Lok Sabha member and speaker at the event for "namesake", he said "but I had no chance to speak. The Chief Minister who is mean to this extent, has grown from this party (JD(S))."
"Grooming such a lowly Chief Minister is my biggest mistake. I will repeatedly say he is unfit to continue in the post," a visibly upset Gowda remarked at a party event.
Relations between Gowda and his one-time trusted aide Siddaramaiah came under strain in 2005 as the latter was unhappyover party affairs and dominance of the former Prime Minister'sson H D Kumaraswamy, the then JD(S) state unit workingpresident.
The issue of alleged "ill-treatment" meted out to Gowda during the Mahamastakabhisheka had also resonated in the Assembly last week, when his son and JD(S) MLA H D Revanna moveda privilege notice accusing that he too was "ill-treated" at the programme at the behest of the minister in charge of the district.
The privilege notice has been referred to the privileges committee by the Deputy Speaker.
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