In a post-midnight news conference, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai said his conscience did not allow him to go ahead with ‘Janotsava’ to celebrate three years of the BJP government and one year of his tenue. However, party sources say it was the high command that intervened to have the event cancelled.
Apparently, the BJP top brass gave directions that such an event would convey a wrong message when emotions of BJP workers were running high.
The massive public rally planned at Doddaballapur was meant to serve as a platform to help the BJP boost its presence in the Old Mysuru region.
Going ahead with the massive event - where around two lakh people were expected to participate - when protests were planned by BJP workers and other right-wing groups in different parts of the state could have disastrous consequences for the party come elections in 2023.
“The high command reminded the state leaders that BJP was a cadre-based party and any sign of insensitivity during a period of fury among its ranks could further irk the party workers,” sources said.
These directions forced Bommai to convene the late-night press conference to call off the massive event where BJP national president J P Nadda was the chief guest. Similarly, an event at Vidhana Soudha to mark the first anniversary of Bommai government in which Union Ministers Nirmala Sitharaman and Rajeev Chandrashekar were scheduled to participate was also cancelled, sources added.
The state government had intended the massive ‘Janotsava’ to be a show of strength and deployed ministers K Sudhakar, MTB Nagaraj and Muniratna to organise the event. Bommai, in his late night briefing, apologised to the trio and the party supporters who were supposed to participate at the event.
“Cancelling the programme was required. My conscience did not permit to the event (following the murder),” the CM had said, noting that the party had organised itself well in Bengaluru Rural and other surrounding districts of the Old Mysuru region. “This time, we were to demonstrate the immense political support that we have,” Bommai said.
“I was in a dilemma. On one hand, an innocent man (Praveen) was killed. On the other hand, our government completed three years in office,” he said. “Since Tuesday night when I first heard of Praveen’s murder, I’ve been in pain.”