Bangalore: 'No Dissidence, Just Differences of Opinion’: Arun Jaitely

Daijiworld Media Network - Bangalore (SP)

Bangalore, Jun 13: In-charge of the state unit of BJP and national secretary of the BJP Arun Jaitley is understood have left instructions with top leaders of the state unit of his party, not to behave in a way that can hurt the image of the party. He was fielding questions tossed at him by reporters here on Friday June 12, after holding prolonged discussions with Chief Minister Yeddyurappa, national general secretary of the party Anant Kumar and dissident leader and energy minister K S Eshwarappa.

"I have instructed all the senior leaders and ministers to obey the discipline of the party and not to violate principals and policies of the party. I have pleaded with them to work in unison to further improve the image of the party," Jaitley revealed. He termed the feud in the state BJP as just differences of opinion and not dissidence. He said, he had given an ear to the grievances of different leaders and will take action to remove them. On the speculation about the insistence of the dissidents that the Chief Minister and a few of his ministerial colleagues should be removed, he said they have placed before him their side of the differences and no demand was made either to change the Chief Minister or to drop any of the ministers.

Jaitley however, could not hold discussions with the Bellary trio, the Reddy brothers, who had voiced their criticism about the Chief Minister's style of functioning before the BJP national president Rajnath Singh and party leader Sushma Swaraj.

The Chief Minister, speaking at the party office in Mangalore later in the day, posed a veiled threat to the dissident leaders by saying that the BJP is a party of activists and not leaders. He said there is a need to put an end to the 'Congress Culture' of neglecting party workers that had crept into the party of late. He said, discipline should be maintained at any cost, and asked the activists to work concertedly for the progress of the party. He requested the party members not to get disheartened at the debacle the party suffered in the recent Lok Sabha election and reiterated that his government will complete its full term.

When Yeddyurappa was questioned by the media as to why minister Eshwarappa, who is the in-charge minister of Chikmagalur district and who was to participate in the programme organized in Mangalore for Udupi, Dakshina Kannada and Chikmagalur districts together, he asked them not to attribute any special meaning to the absence of leaders who are busy with several other activities. "Everything is fine. Our central leaders have given us clear instructions and clarified matters. I do not want to rake up the issue again," he said.