Governor hits out at Reddys, wants CM to take action

The governor was talking to reporters after Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa greeted him on his 74th birthday in Raj Bhavan. The governor said as they (the Reddys) are ministers, it is not within his competence to take action.

“It is time to discuss the conflict of interests of ministers whether they can do business and remain ministers. This is a serious matter as it involves the interests of Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh. I told the chief minister that it is for him and his government to decide. I also told him that I have done my job as I did not want to embarrass him,” the governor said.

The EC has expressed its displeasure in writing against the government for withdrawing election-related complaints against the Bellary ministers. The EC has said that it is illegal to withdraw such complaints. But, still the government has not taken action, he added.
According to sources who were privy to the meeting between the governor and the chief minister, Bhardwaj is said to have spoken his mind on ministers making comments, through the media, on the functioning of the governor’s office. He told the chief minister not to allow room for such outbursts.

Indirectly referring to the press conference held by Minister Janardhana Reddy to criticise the governor for issuing notice to meet him, Bhardwaj is learnt to have told Yeddyurappa that he need not learn about the Constitution from the minister.

“I have studied the Constitution of various countries in the last 50 years. I need not take a lesson from him to know whether I have authority to issue a notice,” the governor told the chief minister.

It is said that the governor told Yeddyurappa that he has not come to Karnataka to oust the BJP government. The government must perform well. The ministers should be restrained failing which the government must be prepared for confrontation, he said.

However, the chief minister told reporters that the mining issue was not discussed with the governor. He said that his government proposed to maintain good relations with all the constitutional bodies.