Mysuru: Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Monday said that few people have been spreading false rumours that he was an atheist. “I worship god. I have worshipped Tirupati Timmappa and Male Mahadeshwara. But I do not believe in superstitions”, he said.
He was speaking at the concluding ceremony of the three-day Maha Kumbh mela at T Narasipura in city as the chief guest.
“Everyone criticises me and calls me an atheist. But I do believe in God. From childhood I have grown performing Veeragase Kunitha, Devara Kunitha. But I have no belief in superstitions. I analyse everything scientifically. I do not worship one god. I believe in the saying ‘one god, but many names’. But there are few people who make false statements that I am an atheist, which is not true”, he said.
He also recalled his childhood, when once, as he was grazing buffaloes, a teacher named Rajappa had enrolled him in to class 5. He remembered his teacher and said, “If that teacher had not encouraged me to go to school, I would not have become educated, I would not have entered politics and also not have become Chief Minister”.
