Bengaluru, Feb 17 (IANS) Karnataka Minister for RDPR, IT and BT Priyank Kharge, son of Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, on Tuesday sought to downplay the controversy over the foreign trip of some Congress legislators amid the ongoing leadership tussle.

He said legislators had gone on a similar foreign trip last year as well, and whether permission was required for a private trip.

Speaking to reporters in Bengaluru on Tuesday, Kharge said, “I don’t know who has asked them not to go on the trip. There is no connection between them and the preparation of the state budget.”

When asked about the legislators travelling as a group, Kharge reiterated that they had travelled together earlier too and that the media had not taken note of it then. “They had gone earlier as well. Even before that, they had travelled. The legislators would have directly met the Chief Minister and placed their demands regarding their constituencies,” he said.

He further asked, “Is there any rule that says a foreign trip should not be undertaken? Is it illegal? Is it unconstitutional? Or is permission from the high command required? No. Do they require the government’s permission? It is not required.”

“They have undertaken a private trip as friends. Why should there be any objection?” he added.

When asked about reports that Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar had allegedly called the legislators and asked them not to proceed with the trip, Kharge said, “How did you get this information? As far as I know, no one has called the legislators.”

It can be noted that amid intensifying power-sharing tensions within the Congress government in Karnataka, a group of like-minded party MLAs, mostly belonging to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s faction, is preparing to embark on a foreign tour, triggering fresh political debate, party sources said.

The development, which comes even after Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge advised the state leaders to avoid differences and move forward through consensus, has assumed significance amid the ongoing leadership tussle in Karnataka.

Sources said that around 27 Congress MLAs and members of the State Legislative Council had initially planned to join the tour to Australia and New Zealand.

The number was later reduced from 27 to about 20 state Congress MLAs, with six to seven MLCs also likely to join.

Despite the uncertainty, the group is scheduled to depart from Bengaluru on February 17 evening and is likely to return on March 1, Congress sources said.

According to sources, the foreign tour is being planned to downplay statements on state leadership made by Deputy Chief Minister and State Congress President D.K. Shivakumar and his faction.

–IANS

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