New govt in Karnataka will be 'temporary'; Ananth Kumar

Dubbing the current political situation in Karnataka as 'ludicrous,' Union Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Ananth Kumar said the new JDS-Congress coalition government was direction less and only temporary.

Speaking to reporters here, he said the newgovernment was direction less with the Chief Minister naming 25 ministers without any portfolios.

"Even though the people had given the highest number of seatsto the BJP in the assembly elections, JD(S) and Congress made a back door entry to power. This (government) is only temporary,"he said.

He pointed out that already there was rebellion and dissatisfaction among leaders and cadre of JD(S) andCongress.

"The workers are not happy with the coalition of the two parties, which were at loggerheads before the elections. Therefore the coalition will be a short-lived one,"Kumarsaid.

Asked to comment on former president Pranab Mukherjee's speechat the RSS headquarters in Nagpur, Ananth Kumar said it was the endorsement of the selfless service of RSS for the past 80 years.

Mukherjee, during his visit to the RSS headquarters yesterday, had warned that hatred and intolerance diluted national identity and declared that nationalism was not bound by race or religion, as he called for a dialogue to reconcile differences.

His visit to address new RSS recruits sparked criticism from some Congress leaders, including his daughter.