A day after the Congress claimed that the coalition partners had foiled the BJP's attempted coup to destabilise the government, Karnataka Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy said that the saffron party's purported "revolution" had turned out to be a mere "illusion".
Hitting out at the BJP for making "futile attempts" to destabilise his government, Kumaraswamy accused the saffron party of keeping its MLAs in "confinement" at a hotel in Gurugram.
Speaking to reporters in Bengaluru, Kumaraswamy also said that the people of Karnataka would give the BJP a fitting reply for its repeated attempts to topple the government in Karnataka.
"It was claimed that there will be a Sam'kranti' on January 15. But it turned to be a Sam'bhranthi'. Yeddyurappa has accused me and the Congress of trying to poach his MLAs. But it has become more than apparent that it is the BJP which is indulging in horse-trading," he said.
Kumaraswamy asked Yeddyurappa if he was not obstructing his BJP MLAs from working in their constituencies.
"Yeddyurappa had criticised me for holidaying with my family abroad, citing that the state was reeling under drought. I went away for two days. But the BJP MLAs have been kept holed up for six days. They are not even being allowed to use their phones," he said.
"Yeddyurappa had spoken with anger as though only he was concerned about the farmers and difficulties of the people," Kumaraswamy said. "Is Yeddyurappa and party taking stock of the drought situation in Gurugram, sitting at the hotel? Has the situation in Karnataka improved now?" he asked.
The chief minister flayed Yeddyurappa for allegedly confining the BJP MLAs to a hotel and pointed out that the ruling coalition legislators were free. "I am surprised when you (Yeddyurappa) criticise the Congress and JD(S) for their inability to keep MLAs together, but you have kept your MLAs in confinement at a hotel. Are there differences between you and your MLAs?
"We have not kept any of our MLAs in confinement, we have left them free," Kumaraswamy said.
"You (BJP) are doing everything (trying to poach MLAs), but now blaming us, if you feel that people will accept whatever you say, you are wrong. People will give an answer to BJP leaders at the right time," he added.
(With inputs from Press Trust of India)