Centre should have called all-party meeting before announcing ceasefire: Karnataka CM

Mysuru (Karnataka): Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah stated in Mysuru on Monday that the Centre should have called for an all-party meeting before announcing the ceasefire.

Speaking to the media at the H.D. Kote helipad, CM Siddaramaiah while answering a question, stated, “According to me, they should have called an all party meeting before announcing the ceasefire. They also have to call for a special Parliament session. This is a very serious matter.”

“The ceasefire has been declared and both the countries have agreed. The Director General of Military Operations (DGMOs)-level meeting is taking place. We have to see what happens there. The credit should go to our military and the security forces. No one political party should take the credit. It has to go to the Defence forces and the Army,” CM Siddaramaiah reiterated.

When asked whether all Pakistani nations have been sent back from the state, he stated, “In Mysuru, three children, who are Pakistani nationals are present and the rest have been sent back from across the state. Those three kids are below six years. The mother is an Indian and the husband is from Pakistan. They have three children. They had gone to the border but no one came to take them and they have come back.”

“It is 54 years since the 1971 war. I won’t comment much about the war. The ceasefire has been declared and let’s see what will be the outcome,” he stated while answering a question on talks about late Prime Minister Indira Gandhi taking harsher decisions to declare a war against Pakistan in 1971.

“I welcome the decision of a ceasefire and await the outcome of the meeting of the DGMOs of both the countries,” he stated.

When asked about celebration on completion of two years by the Congress-led government in Karnataka, CM Siddaramaiah stated, “We have decided to hold the event because, in the last Cabinet, the decision of a ceasefire was not made and we thought about postponing the event. We had informed AICC President Mallikarjun Kharge and Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi that the event is most likely to be postponed.”

AICC National General Secretaries Randeep Singh Surjewala and K.C. Venugopal had informed LoP Rahul Gandhi already about this and now they are saying that they will ask him and confirm the date of availability by the evening. We want to celebrate and hold the event.”

The Congress was planning to hold the event on May 20 in Vijayanagara.

When questioned on how he rates his government, the CM stated, “This government has delivered what it had promised.”

Answering a question on a Cabinet reshuffle, CM Siddaramaiah stated, “When I take the decision to reshuffle the Cabinet, I will inform media.”

CM Siddaramaiah stated, “The Buddha Purnima is celebrated from the government today and I want to convey Buddha Purnima wishes to the people of the state. In all states and throughout the country, I wish that peace is established.”

IANS