Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru (SP)

Bengaluru, Feb 28: Sources have claimed that BJP state president and former chief minister, B S Yeddyurappa, was given a thorough dressing down by the BJP high command as well as RSS leadership for linking military operations of the country to politics connected with Lok Sabha election.

The statement of Yeddyurappa had resulted in embarrassment for the party at the national level. BJP high command as well as RSS leadership, which woke up to the seriousness of the issue, wanted to take corrective action, They have sternly warned BJP leaders from the state and elsewhere not to link military operations with politics. The leaders have also given a clear signal to undertake damage control exercise over Yeddyurappa's statement and never to allow the issue to aggravate. It is said that Yeddyurappa has also been asked to issue a clarification and end the issue then and there.

It may be recalled that former Karnataka chief minster, Siddaramaiah, has said that Yeddyurappa's attempt to gain political mileage of the military operation has given rise to suspicions.

Yeddyurappa had said that as a result of the action on terrorists by Indian military, BJP is poised to bag over 22 Lok Sabha seats in Karnataka. He also had opined that because of successful air strikes on terrorist hideouts, there is favourable wave all over India for BJP. He also had said that there is a wave in favour of Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, for attacking and destroying terrorist bases and also that he wants to gift 22 MPs to Narendra Modi for his feat. Yeddyurappa's statements came at Chitradurga on Wednesday.

Alerted by a spate of criticisms for his statements and as per the advice given by leaders, Yeddyurappa clarified on Thursday at Yadagiri that there is no question of using military operations for reaping political benefit. He also said that he is happy with the efforts being made to declare Azhar a global terrorist, and asked Pakistan to stop supporting terrorism lest it might get doomed in future. 

My statement is being reported out of context. I said that ‘situation favourable for BJP’ which i am saying for last couple of months. This is not first time that i said BJP in Karnataka will win minimum 22 seats under the able leadership of Modi ji.

— B.S. Yeddyurappa (@BSYBJP) February 28, 2019

He also said that as union minister, Sushma Swaraj, already convened an all-party meeting and gave full details of what happened, the question of reaping any political benefit does not arise.