Intensifying its political war against the Opposition, the ruling BJP in Karnataka today announced plans to stage a demonstration tomorrow in front of a private resort where 11 rebel disqualified party MLAs are being sheltered by JDS.
BJP activists led by MLA Vijayakumar also held a demonstration in front of Siddaramaiah's official residence earlier in the day demanding the release of 11 MLAs.
“Congress and JDS have held our MLAs as hostages. We will stage a demonstration in front of the resort tomorrow demanding their release,” a group of ministers led by state home minister R Ashok told reporters here.
The 11 BJP MLAs and five Independents, who were also disqualified on October 10, have been camping in the company of JDS men ever since the turmoil in state politics early this month after they announced withdrawal of support to the BS Yeddyurappa government.
The BJP’s counter-offensive comes a day after Congress workers led by Opposition leader Siddaramaiah staged a demonstration in front of Yeddyurappa's official residence yesterday accusing the saffron party of trying to lure its MLAs for its survival.
Flanked by five ministerial colleagues, Ashok said the anger vented out by Siddaramaiah against the BJP and Yeddyurappa was nothing but “frustration” following failure by the Congress to keep its flock together. “None of its MLAs has joined our party. If any one wants to leave your party, why accuse us,” he said, apparently referring to the Congress charge that the BJP had lured its Jagalur MLA, S V Ramachandra.
Ashok questioned the acts of Opposition parties in ferrying BJP rebels to hotels in Goa and Chennai and now giving “lessons to BJP on issues of morality.”
The Congress, which is now dominated by “defectors” like Siddaramaiah and KPCC president Deshpande, was in the grip of fear of losing their MLAs, he said.
Describing JDS as a ‘local political outfit’, Ashok said that party had joined hands with the Congress to topple the BJP government and warned “people will teach them a lesson.”
The Congress is trying to shift the blame on BJP for defection of its MLAs as it was unable to contain the revolt that has broken out within its party against defectors ruling it, Ashok claimed.
Ministers Basavaraj Bommai, Govind Karjol, Umesh Katti, G Janardhana Reddy, who once spearheaded a major revolt against the government and Jagadish Shettar, who was part of the dissidence movement, were present.
