Yeddi Asks Minister to Resign - Supporters Protest, 11 Injured

Daijiworld Media Network

Bijapur, Aug 22: Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa is learnt to have instructed Horticulture Minister S.K. Bellubbi to resign.

Yeddyurappa is contemplating to induct into the Cabinet Umesh Katti, who recently defected from JD(S) to BJP, in place of Bellubbi.

Yeddyurappa this morning told the media that Bellubbi will given a prominent position in the party.

In the meanwhile, supporters of Bellubbi intensified their agitation in his native place Kolhar (Bijapur district) protesting against the move to drop him from the Cabinet.

Eleven people were injured when police resorted to a lathi-charge here on Thursday to disperse an irate mob protesting against the reported move to drop Horticulture and Bijapur district in-charge Minister S.K. Bellubbi from the Cabinet.

As soon the rumour spread that Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa had decided to ask Mr. Bellubbi to step down, the Minister’s supporters gathered in front of the Siddeshwar temple and took out a procession raising slogans against the Chief Minister.

The police and the protesters got into a heated argument when some of the Minister’s supporters began pelting stones at the police and government buses. Three buses were damaged.

When the situation went out of control, the police resorted to a lathi-charge in which several senior citizens and women were injured. Traffic at several places came to a grinding halt.