Udupi: Amid ongoing speculation linking his recent religious visits to political maneuvering, Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar has clarified that his participation in events like the Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj and Mahashivratri celebrations in Coimbatore was purely personal. Dismissing suggestions that he could engineer a political shift similar to the Maharashtra episode involving Eknath Shinde, Shivakumar asserted that his faith should not be politicized.

Speaking to reporters in Kaup on Sunday, he said, “I visited the Sangam during Maha Kumbh Mela. Does the water there belong to any political party? It is a sacred confluence of three rivers. I also took a dip in the Kapila river during Kumbh Mela. Let people make their own interpretations, but my visit had no political motive.”

Shivakumar, who was in Udupi for the ‘prathishta’ ceremony of Sri Hosa Marigudi temple, acknowledged that his temple visits often spark discussions. “Every time I visit a temple or make a statement, it draws attention. I don’t understand why my faith should be controversial,” he remarked.

On Maharashtra’s decision to appoint two nodal ministers to address the border dispute with Karnataka, he responded that the Karnataka government has its own ministers effectively handling the matter.

His remarks come amid ongoing political speculation, but Shivakumar maintains that his focus remains on governance rather than political manoeuvring.