An abrupt end to Yeddyurappa's dharna

Former chief minister B S Yeddyurappa wound up his dharna abruptly on the second consecutive day due to lacklustre response from his followers.

Only a few supporters were with him during the protest staged in front of Mahatma Gandhi statue near Anand Rao Circle on Saturday.

His loyalists Hemachandra Sagar (MLA), MLCs Bharati Shetty and Lehar Singh, and Dhananjay Kumar were seen at the protest venue. His confidante Shobha Karandlaje, who was absent on Friday, took part on Saturday.

Yeddyurappa, who has been distancing from the BJP, had asked the organisers not to hoist the party flags at the venue. He was expecting leaders of all political parties to support him. He even dropped his plan to take out a padayatra till Krishnarajasagar reservoir and decided to continue the dharna till Monday, when the Supreme Court is expected to stay the CRA directive. But, he ended the protest abruptly, citing heavy rain.

Flays DCMs

Addressing the protesters, Yeddyurappa criticised Deputy Chief Ministers K S Eshwarappa and R Ashoka, and party national general secretary H N Ananth Kumar for not doing enough on the Cauvery issue.

“Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar has two irresponsible deputies. Ashoka should have camped in Mandya. Eshwarappa has no experience in handling such a situation,” he said.

He also indirectly took a dig at Shettar saying that though the Karnataka government made efforts to get justice to the State, it failed to present the actual situation before both the CRA and the Supreme Court.

Yeddyurappa said that he would take up an agitation against Ananth Kumar if he failed to get justice to the State. “He (Ananth Kumar) is a very influential leader. He should use his influence for the State’s benefit. If he fails to get justice, I will take up an agitation against him. People of the State will teach him a lesson,” he warned.

On External Affairs Minister S M Krishna’s letter to the prime minister on the Cauvery issue, Yeddyurappa questioned his silence all these days and his visit to America when his hometown Mandya was burning.