Karnataka: Jagadish Shettar, Now In Congress, Defends Siddaramaiah Over His 'Corrupt Lingayat CM' Remark

New Karnataka Congress inductee Jagadish Shettar has come out in defence of Siddaramaiah for his 'corrupt Lingayat chief minister' comment.

The candidate from Hubballi-Dharwad-Central in Karnataka clarified that the leader of opposition had only targeted Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai with his remark.

"His comment was only on the present CM Bommai and not all Lingayat CMs. He did not comment on other Lingayat CMs," Shettar, until recently of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), told the news service ANI.

Union Minister Pralhad Joshi demanded an apology from Siddaramaiah, a former chief minister of Karnataka, for saying, "There's already a Lingayat chief minister (Basavaraj Bommai). He's the root of all the corruption in the state," in response to a query on the BJP's stance that a Lingayat should be the next chief minister.

Joshi called the remark "condemnable" and "an insult to Karnataka."

"Now after making comments they are trying to clarify. But we all know what is inside their hearts so that is only coming out," he added.

Joshi accused the Congress party of falsely painting a negative image of the BJP mistreating the Lingayat community.

Shettar became the second senior leader from the Lingayat community, after Laxman Savadi, to switch from the BJP to the Congress.

The Karnataka assembly election for 224 seats will be held on 10 May, and the results will be declared on 13 May.