Yeddyurappa blames CM for N-K ‘unrest’

BJP state president B S Yeddyurappa on Saturday blamed Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy for the “unrest” in north Karnataka and accused him of indulging in “politics of divide and rule”.

Addressing a press meet after core committee meeting of the BJP here, Yeddyurappa charged that Kumaraswamy was behaving like the chief minister of the constituencies won by 37 JD(S) MLAs in the recent Assembly polls, instead of the entire state.

He referred to Kumaraswamy reportedly telling a delegation of farmers from Koppal that they had no right to seek crop loan waiver as they had not voted for his party. “Making such statements is detrimental to the integrity of the state,” the BJP leader stated.

Hundreds had sacrificed their lives for the unification of Karnataka and Kumaraswamy was trying to divide the state for the sake of power and survival, he charged. He said Kumaraswamy’s “injustice” to the people of north Karnataka had led to people of that region calling for a bandh on August 2, seeking separate statehood. He said Kumaraswamy should immediately apologise to the people of the state.

On BJP leader B Sriramalu supporting statehood for north Karnataka, he said he had spoken to him in this regard. “The BJP at no cost supports division of the state.”

Replying to queries, Yeddyurappa said discussions on short-listing candidates for the Lok Sabha polls will be held after the monsoon session of Parliament. BJP president Amit Shah is likely to visit the state during the last week of August, he added.

He ruled out his younger son and BJP Yuva Morcha General Secretary B Y Vijeyendra contesting the Lok Sabha polls.

He said the BJP will launch an agitation if the state government does not withdraw restrictions imposed on the media entry into the Vidhana Soudha, within the next three days. “They are restricting media entry to cover up their scams,” the former chief minister charged.