Bengaluru

Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara on Friday rejected JD(S) leader H D Kumaraswamy's allegation that Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar interfered into the functioning of his (Parameshwara's) department.

He was responding to Union Minister Kumaraswamy's comments accusing Shivakumar of interfering in Home department's affairs, while questioning the latter's authority to convene a meeting of police officers recently in connection with the Ballari clashes.

"He (Shivakumar) is a responsible minister, he is the Deputy CM. Kumaraswamy may be right that the Deputy CM is also just a cabinet minister and he doesn't have extra powers as per the constitution. But, as a government representative, he (Shivakumar) going there cannot be termed as wrong. He has gone there with the responsibility of being a cabinet minister and Deputy CM, as I couldn't go," Parameshwara said.

Speaking to reporters here, he said, Shivakumar had gone to Ballari being a Deputy Chief Minister, a Minister and the representative of the government, and met the deceased persons family.

When pointed out that Kumaraswamy's question was regarding Shivakumar holding a meeting with police officers and with whose permission, the Home Minister said, "what is the need for permission? He is a government representative."

"Cabinet is a collective responsibility, it cannot be called interference......if he had really interfered, issued directions to police officers and if it had a different impact, I would have accepted the allegations of interference. I don't know how Kumaraswamy has understood things," he added.

Clarifying that Shivakumar has in no way interfered in the functioning of the Home Department, Parameshwara said, no one has interfered in our decisions. "The Chief Minister and I take decisions concerning the Home Department and we function responsibly."

Tension prevailed in parts of Ballari on January 1 night after supporters of Ballari City Congress MLA Nara Bharath Reddy and Gangavati BJP MLA G Janardhan Reddy allegedly clashed over a banner installation issue. The situation turned violent with alleged stone-pelting and firing, leaving one person -- a Congress worker-- dead.

READ MORE: Nawabzada Mohammad Asif Ali shows the humble side of royalty

The incident reportedly began after supporters of Bharath Reddy allegedly installed a banner related to the Valmiki statue unveiling in front of Janardhan Reddy's residence in Ballari.

Shivakumar, who is also the state Congress chief, had recently visited Ballari, during which he had visited the victim's family and also had held a meeting with senior police officers.