Bangalore : BJP Threatens Legal Action Against Deve Gowda
Bangalore/New Delhi, Jan 11: Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa is not likely to initiate any legal action against former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda for using unparliamentary language against him but the state unit of BJP has threatened to file a suit against the JD(S) Chief.
Sources close to Yeddyurappa said after holding discussions with his close associates, he has decided "to leave it to the people of Karnataka to decide what action should be taken against Deve Gowda".
However, Karnataka BJP unit demanded an unconditional apology from Deve Gowda and threatened to drag him to court.
"We highly object to this kind of conduct by Deve Gowda and demand that he should immediately express unconditional apology to the people of the Karnataka or else he will have to face legal action," BJP leader Dhananjay Kumar said.
"The state BJP is contemplating legal action against the conduct of Deve Gowda," he added.
The use of abusive language by the former Prime Minister yesterday has annoyed the BJP Central leadership as well.
BJP national spokesperson Prakash Javadekar said, "This shows Deve Gowda's exasperation and desperation. I can only send the message to him to get well soon."
"By showering abuse on Yeddyurappa, an elected chief minister and holder of a constitutional post, Gowda has only brought shame to democracy," another spokesperson Ravi Shankar Prasad said.
Meanwhile, BJP workers across Karnataka hit the streets Monday to protest Gowda's use of invectives against the Chief Minister. Protesters garlanded the former prime minister's portraits with shoes and burnt his effigies.
The JD-S office in north Karnataka's Bidar town, about 700 km from here, was attacked but no one was hurt as the premises was closed, police said.
Groups of BJP workers held demonstrations in Bangalore, Mysore, Belgaum, Bidar, Chickmagalur and other places, raised slogans against Deve Gowda and beat his portraits with footwear, the ultimate insult.
Gowda Sunday called Yeddyurappa "bloody b..." but expressed regret later. Gowda uttered the profanities responding to questions from reporters while protesting against land acquisition for the Bangalore-Mysore Infrastructure Corridor (BMIC) project on the outskirts of Bangalore.
Gowda's son, JD-S Karnataka chief and former chief minister H.D. Kumaraswamy Monday said there was no need for the protests as his father had expressed regret for his statement.
A common refrain of BJP leaders condemning Gowda's behaviour was that he had lost mental balance and be sent for medical examination or be admitted in a mental hospital.
Yeddyurappa, who late Sunday said he was hurt by the intemperate language of Gowda, Monday asserted that the former prime minister was bent on creating trouble but he would not fall into the trap by responding in the same manner.
"I will devote my attention to the development of the state. People of the state are aware of what is happening. They will give a befitting reply," he told reporters.
Former BJP Lok Sabha member and now Karnataka special representative at Delhi V. Dhanajaya Kumar, however, said the party was contemplating what action can be taken against Gowda.
The BMIC project has been caught in a controversy over the area of land sought by its promoters Nandi Infrastructure Corridor Enterprises. NICE is a consortium with Kalyani Group of Companies, of industrialist Baba Kalyani, leading it.
NICE wants over 20,000 acres for the project, which comprises a four-lane express highway between Bangalore and Mysore, five townships each accommodating a population of 100,000 and several commercial/corporate centres along the 111-km expressway.
The expressway would be a toll road.
The government has handed over around 7,000 acres to NICE even as a legal battle over the land size required is in the Supreme Court.
The BMIC is estimated to cost Rs.2,000 crore (Rs.20 billion) and is to be completed over a period of 13 years.
Gowda Accuses Yeddyurappa of Colluding, Cheating and Grabbing
New Delhi, Jan 11 (PTI): Stepping up his offensive against Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa, former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda on Monday accused him and his associates of ''colluding, cheating and grabbing'' over 4,800 acres of land for the Bangalore-Mysore Expressway and hurting farmers' interests.
Gowda admitted using provocative words "bloody bastard" against the Chief Minister yesterday but said he had withdrawn it soon thereafter.
He said the "agony" of the farmers who were being pushed into "misery" had forced him to use such harsh words.
"The company personnel, the Advocate General of the state and the Chief Minister have colluded, cheated and grabbed 4,884 acres of land," he said.
Gowda was referring to the Nandi Infrastructure Corridor Enterprises Limited (NICE) project for the Bangalore-Mysore Expressway.
The JD(S) leader alleged that a senior lawyer has "misled" the Supreme Court to get favourable orders despite a 2004 order passed against the company.
He said NICE wants to "build a mahal (palace) by burying the farmers."
JDS asks BJP to stop stir over Gowda; warns of retaliation
Bangalore, Jan 11 (PTI) : As the BJP in Karnataka continued its protests over former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda's personal attack against Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa, the JDS today set tomorrow as the deadline to the ruling party to stop its agitations or face counter steps.
Apparently concerned over the protests across the state by BJP which continued for the second day today, Karnataka unit JDS President H D Kumaraswamy, son of Gowda, asked the ruling outfit to end the stir against his father or face counter protests by his party.
He asked the BJP not to "precipitate" the matter following yesterday's outbursts and warned of counter steps if their protests do not stop by tomorrow.
Kumaraswamy also said Gowda was under some kind of "tension" that forced him to use some harsh words for which "my father has already expressed regrets for it and the party too did so."
At a press conference here, Kumaraswamy was candid in admitting that he did not approve of the language his father used against Yeddyurpapa yesterday, but said "my father has already expressed regrets for it and the party too did so."
"The protests by BJP should end immediately. Otherwise, let them face our protests also. Our workers are also ready," Kumaraswamy, who had headed the JDS-BJP coalition government, warned.
On next month's elections to the Bruhut Bangalore Mahanagara Palika (BBMP), the city civic body, he ruled out any poll pact with Congress.
Accusing Yeddyurappa of trying to "mislead" people by saying that development works in Bangalore were in full swing after the BJP government assumed office, he demanded a white paper on the funds spent by the government from its resources and the amount released by the Centre.
Stop Provoking Me: Yeddyurappa Tells Gowda
Bangalore, Jan 11 (PTI) : Hitting back at former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda for using unparliamentary language against him, Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa on Monday said the JD(S) chief had not only insulted him but the entire people of the state and asked him to stop ''provoking'' him.
"Gowda has not only insulted me, but also six crore people of Karnataka. I am hurt by the remarks made against me yesterday," Yeddyurappa told reporters here a day after the former prime minister's outburst replete with expletives created a political furore in the state.
Yeddyurappa said Gowda was hurling abuses at others "taking advantage of the former prime minister status.He talks lightly about the Chief Minister, the Advocate General."
In a warning, he said, "I can also make similar caustic remarks. But I won't do that. Let him stop provoking me."
Yeddyurappa, however, ruled out any legal action against the JDS chief, remarking sarcastically: "Gowda himself is a legal expert. What legal action can I take".
"Gowda has capacity to project a falsehood as truth. He is trying to mislead farmers. But he will not succeed", Yeddyurappa said taking a swipe at the former prime minister's charge that excess land was being granted to Nandi Infrastructure Corridor Enterprise (NICE).
Gowda made the remarks over the controversial Bangalore-Mysore Infrastructure Project, promoted by NICE, during a farmers' stir against NICE at Hemmigepura village near here.
"Who is this Yeddyurappa? Bas...d. Who the hell does Yeddyurappa think he is? Does he have any shame," Gowda had said in the controversial remarks.
Accusing the JD-S of trying to create trouble in the state and provoking farmers to bring a bad name to BJP Government, Yeddyurappa charged Gowda with "shedding crocodile tears" for farmers all of sudden and ridiculed him for joining the stir.
The land allotment had been done as per the framework agreement and verdicts of courts, he asserted.
After the BJP Government came to power, it had notified only 3.1 acres of land at Gottigere tank near Kengeri on the city outskirts for the project, he said.
Shortly after his remarks evoked a sharp reaction from BJP and other quarters, Gowda went into a damage control mode telling a regional TV channel, "If they (his remarks) have hurt Yeddyurappa, I express my regret."
Gowda had also targeted Karnataka Advocate General Ashok Haranhally and accused him of submitting a false affidavit on the NICE project in court.
Meanwhile, state unit BJP sought to step up the pressure on Gowda to tender an apology for the "derogatory" outbursts.
BJP workers held a dharna at the busy Basaweshwara circle near Vidhan Soudha, the state secretariat, this morning and chanted anti-Gowda slogans.
BJP leader D B Chandre Gowda told reporters that the former prime minister's remarks amount to an insult to the entire state and the people and he should tender an apology.
"NICE project is the baby of Devegowda. The MoU for the project was signed when Devegowda was the Chief Minister", Chandra Gowda, flanked by city BJP MLAs, said, adding, the former Prime Minister was raking up the issue with an eye on next month's polls to the city civic body, Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP).
"Gowda is frustrated at losing power", Chandre Gowda said.