KOPPAL: Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah lost his cool on Monday while interacting with media personnel at Ginigera Air Strip in Koppal.Recalling his contest for the Koppal Lok Sabha constituency in 1991, Siddaramaiah initially spoke in a light vein, noting that he lost the election by a thin margin despite wholehearted support from the people.When asked about the caste census, he said the survey of 63% of families had been completed by Sunday and expected it to finish by Tuesday evening.However, he lost his composure when a subsequent question about a separate Lingayat religion was misinterpreted. He snapped at minister Shivaraj Tangadagi, emphasizing that people could choose the religion of their choice in the census.Also read: Lingayat is a separate religion, says CM Siddaramaiah; hits out at caste systemTangadagi and KKRDB chairman Ajay Singh struggled to clarify the miscommunication, after which Siddaramaiah stated he had no official stance on the Lingayat separate religion issue, adding, “Some virakta seers are demanding it.”The chief minister also expressed irritation when reporters asked about halting government guarantees for months. He responded, “We have not stopped them. If you have specific complaints, come to me and we will rectify them.”When questioned about a possible November Kranti, Siddaramaiah simply said there would be “no kranti as such.” Responding to BJP criticism over the caste census, he remarked that critics could comment when the Union government conducts the caste census in January.
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