Shivakumar prays at Thirunallar temple, seeks unity of secular forces

Karnataka Dy CM DK Shivakumar prayed at Thirunallar Saneeswaran Temple, calling for secular unity. He denied reports of TN Congress MLAs being in Bengaluru and said he would follow any direction from the party's high command.

Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar on Saturday visited the Thirunallar Saneeswaran Bhagwan Temple in Karaikal and offered prayers. During his visit, he also spoke on broader political issues, stressing the need for unity among secular forces.

Speaking to ANI after the darshan, Shivakumar said, "I have come to seek the blessings of Lord Saneeswaran. I have been coming here for a long time to be protected from all evil forces. So, I thought that it was the right time to come here. So, I came and prayed here. Let the state, country and all be prosperous."

On Tamil Nadu Politics and Secular Unity

On the political situation in Tamil Nadu, he added, "We have already given our commitment; we want to see secular forces uniting. That is our only intention. We want democracy to be restored properly."

Meanwhile, Shivakumar denied reports that Tamil Nadu Congress MLAs had come to Bengaluru amid the political situation in the neighbouring state. "It is false that Tamil Nadu Congress MLAs have come to Bengaluru. I follow what the party says. I do not know anything about the Tamil Nadu issue," Shivakumar clarified while responding to questions from the media at his Sadashivanagar residence.

When asked if the MLAs had arrived at a private resort, he said, "No MLAs have come to the resort. I am not aware of this. If I had information, I would have said so. The resort is closed for renovation. Some say they have gone to Hyderabad, while others say they have come to Bengaluru. I saw this in the media. If the party high command gives any directions, I will follow them. But so far, the high command has not spoken to me."

"I had gone to Tamil Nadu for the manifesto release and campaigning as per the party leadership's direction. After that, I have no information," he added.

On the rapidly changing situation in Tamil Nadu, he said, "I have no information about this."

Wishes for Former CM BS Yediyurappa

Asked about former CM B S Yediyurappa's felicitation event, Shivakumar said, "May Yediyurappa Have Good Health and Long Life. He has served the state. If it is his birthday, I wish him well. His party is organising the party and honouring him. There is nothing wrong with that. I pray he gets good health. May God give him a long life. Politically, his ideology is different, ours is different." (ANI)

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