From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network
Bengaluru, Dec 10: Senior Congress Minister and Water Resource Minister D K Shivakumar courted a controversy by bringing in the religion of the doctor who treated the 111-year-old Seer of Siddaganga Math Dr Sri Sivakumara Swamiji, who successfully underwent a liver bypass and gall bladder removal surgery at the Dr. Rela Institute and Medical Centre in Chennai last week.
Speaking to media in Belagavi, before the commencement of the winter legislature session in the border town, Shivakumar said Dr Mohamed Rela, who belonged to the minority community provided treatment to the Lingayat seer.
Dr Rela is an expert in liver transplantation and hepatopancreatobiliary surgery, performed the operation on the seer.
D K Shivakumar
A junior Siddaganga Mutt seer also hit out at the Congress minister’s statement and bringing in the name of the doctor, who belonged to the Muslim community.
“There is no religion, caste or community for the medical profession,” he said and advised political party leaders not to inject politics into everything.
Senior BJP leader and former Deputy Chief Minister R Ashok too criticised the Congress leader for brining the name of doctor and the Muslim community.
The BJP leader said the Congress, which believes in appeasement politics, should do politics in Vidhana Soudha and not in providing treatment to the seer.
Ashok said the statement would not give any respect to the Minister.
The Congress minister was communalizing the treatment, Ashok said and advised him that one should not mix politics while giving medical treatment and providing education in schools and colleges.
Shivakumar went to Chennai and visited the seer while he was underoign a treatment in the hospital.
It is widely believed that Shivakumar deliberately referred the Muslim community while mentioning the doctor’s name to divert the attention of the BJP, which has decided to take on to the ruling coalition in the next 10-day session of the State legislature which commenced on Monday morning.