It is BJP leaders' yatra of repentance, says CM

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Thursday described BJP's Nava Karnataka Parivarthana yatra as "paschatapa yatra" (yatra for repentance) for the 'misdeeds' of the saffron party leaders when they were in power in the past.

Dubbing the launch of the yatra as a damp squib given the low turnout, he said this was proof that the people of Karnataka were not with the BJP.

"The BJP looted the state's resources when it was in power in the state. Yeddyurappa encouraged it. The BJP leaders should talk about their misdeeds -- be it the way they looted the natural resources, watching the blue film, or going to jail, during the yatra," he told reporters on seeking his reaction to the BJP launching Parivarthana yatra.

He said that it was ironical that the Parivarthana (change) yatra was launched by Shah and Yeddyurappa who had both gone to jail in the past. "It is ridiculous that they launched the yatra. Parivarthane (change), should first happen in the BJP, which is trying to divide society," he charged.

He said that aside from Yeddyurappa, BJP leaders such as Katta Subramanya Naidu, Janardhan Reddy, Anand Singh, Nagendra and Krishnaiah Shetty had gone to jail.

Rebutting Shah's statements on Kannada Rajyotsava and Tipu Jayanti, Siddaramaiah said that his government had not been discriminatory, as both events were being celebrated with equal verve.

"The Congress government had celebrated historic personalities, unlike the BJP which has twisted history. All measures will be taken to ensure that there will be no law and order problem during Tipu Jayanti," he said.