BJP workers across State protest against Gowda

BJP threatens legal action against Deve Gowda

The JD-S office in north Karnataka's Bidar town, about 700 km from here, was attacked but no one was hurt as the premises was closed, police said.
Yeddyurappa is not likely to initiate any legal action against former  Gowda for using unparliamentary language against him but the state unit of BJP has threatened to file a suit against the JD(S) Chief.

Sources close to Yeddyurappa said after holding discussions with his close associates, he has decided "to leave it to the people of Karnataka to decide what action should be taken against Deve Gowda".

However, Karnataka BJP unit demanded an unconditional apology from Deve Gowda and threatened to drag him to court.

"We highly object to this kind of conduct by Deve Gowda and demand that he should immediately express unconditional apology to the people of the Karnataka or else he will have to face legal action," BJP leader Dhananjay Kumar said.

"The state BJP is contemplating legal action against the conduct of Deve Gowda," he added.
The use of abusive language by the former Prime Minister yesterday has annoyed the BJP Central leadership as well.

BJP national spokesperson Prakash Javadekar said, "This shows Deve Gowda's exasperation and desperation. I can only send the message to him to get well soon."

"By showering abuse on Yeddyurappa, an elected chief minister and holder of a constitutional post, Gowda has only brought shame to democracy," another spokesperson Ravi Shankar Prasad said.

Gowda Sunday called Yeddyurappa "bloody b..." but expressed regret later. Gowda uttered the profanities responding to questions from reporters while protesting against land acquisition for the Bangalore-Mysore Infrastructure Corridor (BMIC) project on the outskirts of Bangalore.

Gowda's son, JD-S Karnataka chief and former chief minister H.D. Kumaraswamy Monday said there was no need for the protests as his father had expressed regret for his statement.

A common refrain of BJP leaders condemning Gowda's behaviour was that he had lost mental balance and be sent for medical examination or be admitted in a mental hospital.
Yeddyurappa, who late Sunday said he was hurt by the intemperate language of Gowda, Monday asserted that the former prime minister was bent on creating trouble but he would not fall into the trap by responding in the same manner.
"I will devote my attention to the development of the state. People of the state are aware of what is happening. They will give a befitting reply," he told reporters.
Former BJP Lok Sabha member and now Karnataka special representative at Delhi V. Dhanajaya Kumar, however, said the party was contemplating what action can be taken against Gowda.

The BMIC project has been caught in a controversy over the area of land sought by its promoters Nandi Infrastructure Corridor Enterprises. NICE is a consortium with Kalyani Group of Companies, of industrialist Baba Kalyani, leading it.
NICE wants over 20,000 acres for the project, which comprises a four-lane express highway between Bangalore and Mysore, five townships each accommodating a population of 100,000 and several commercial/corporate centres along the 111-km expressway.
The expressway would be a toll road.
The government has handed over around 7,000 acres to NICE even as a legal battle over the land size required is in the Supreme Court.
The BMIC is estimated to cost Rs.2,000 crore (Rs.20 billion) and is to be completed over a period of 13 years.