Governor-CM tiff reaches flashpoint

As the confrontation between the chief minister and the governor threatens to reach Rashtrapati Bhavan, the party central leadership has decided to stand by Yeddyurappa.
The chief minister, who rushed to Delhi on Tuesday met senior lawyers Arun Jaitely and Ram Jethmalani and discussed the legal implications of the developments. 

“I have discussed all issues with the central leadership. I will hold an emergency Cabinet meeting at 11 am on Wednesday and will place the issues I have discussed here,” the chief minister told reporters after meeting Jaitely. 

The Cabinet meeting, which will be the second one in less than 24 hours, is likely to discuss the recall of the governor and his alleged interference in the functioning of the government.

A visibly tense chief minister—upset over the governor’s reported statement that he is studying the petition to grant prosecution in connection with land denotification scam— also met party chief spokesperson  and senior advocate Ravi Shankar Prasad.
The chief minister had earlier announced that he would lead a march to Rashtrapati Bhavan in protest against the governor’s  alleged misuse of  powers to destabilise his government. 

Later, he abandoned the plan at the behest of the party leadership. The chief minister was accompanied by his ministerial colleagues S Suresh Kumar, V S Acharya, R Ashok and Basavaraj Bommai.

Two Karnataka High Court advocates had given a petition to the governor seeking permission to prosecute the chief minister and Ashok over the alleged illegal land denotification and allotment scam. The governor had said that he was studying the petition and would take a decision soon.

 Before leaving for Delhi, Yeddyurappa had challenged  Opposition parties to come for a debate on the land scam issue at the Banquet hall of Vidhana Soudha, and charged them with conspiring to impose President’s rule on the State. He said people of the State were aware why leaders of the Congress and JD(S) often visited Raj Bhavan. “A conspiracy is being hatched to impose President’s rule on the State,” he alleged.

He said he would not be cowed down by such moves. “I will go for elections only after completing my full term. Charges being made by the opposition parties are totally baseless. Land scam is a baby nurtured by the JD(S) in the State,” he charged.
Meanwhile, the governor reiterated on Tuesday that he would decide soon the plea seeking his consent to prosecute Yeddyurappa over land scams. Speaking to mediapersons at Raj Bhavan, Bhardwaj said the advocates’ petition was under his consideration.

When his attention was drawn to the BJP appeal to the President to recall him, the governor said he would go to Delhi if he was asked to do so.