Bengaluru: The opposition BJP on Friday urged Karnataka Governor Vajubhai Vala to act against Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy for allegedly provoking the people to wage war against its state unit president B.S. Yeddyurappa.
“Kumaraswamy told the media at Channarayapatna in Hassan district on Thursday that he would ask the people to wage war against Yeddyurappa if the latter made attempt to destabilise the JD-S-Coalition government in the state,” said the party in a letter to Vala.
A BJP delegation, led by Union Minister D.V. Sadananda Gowda and its state unit leaders, also told the Governor that cadres of the ruling JD-S and Congress had rushed to Yeddyurappa’s residence in the city within hours after Kumaraswamy’s threat.
“We urge you to prosecute Kumaraswamy for his statement, which is intentional and a constitutional offence punishable under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC),” asserted the letter.
BJP’s former state chief minister Jagadish Shettar, former deputy chief minister B.R. Ashoka, Lok Sabha members from the state P.C. Mohan and Shobha Karandlaje and legislators from the state met the Governor and submitted the letter in Raj Bhavan.
Kumaraswamy provocative remarks came amid charges that the BJP’s state unit and Yeddyurappa have been trying to dislodge the 4-month-old coalition government by luring Congress legislators with money for defecting to the opposition party (BJP).
Refuting the charges of Kumaraswamy and Congress leaders, Ashoka told reporters here that the coalition government was crisis-ridden due to revolt by Congress minister Ramesh Jharkiholi, his brother legislator Satish Jharkiholi and its dissident MLAs.
“Though its nearing four months since the rival parties (Janata Dal-Secular and Congress) came to power in May through a unholy post-poll alliance, the coalition government is yet to settle down and function, as the chief minister and the cabinet ministers are daily fire-fighting for survival,” thundered Ashoka.
In the 34-member cabinet, as eight ministerial posts, including six of the Congress and two of the JD-S have not been filled so far, legislators of both the parties have been vying for them or become chairmen of various state-run boards and corporations.
Denying crisis in the party, former Congress chief minister Siddaramaiah said the state government was stable and none of its MLAs (legislators) had gone to Mumbai.
