BENGALURU: Under attack from BJP leaders questioning his role in the freedom struggle, 102-year-old freedom fighter HS Doreswamy on Saturday sought Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa’s intervention.
“I hope the CM will take note of what his party MLA has stated,” Doreswamy said, even as BJP leaders backed party MLA Basana Gowda Patil Yatnal on Saturday.
Doreswamy told TNIE, “I will not talk on this issue... there is no need for me to talk. People who know me and my well-wishers know who I am. Yatnal is like that and he doesn’t spare anyone. Earlier too he has spoken like this and this time it’s me.”
As the controversy threatened to disrupt the assembly session starting from Monday, BJP leaders backed the Vijayapura MLA, who has alleged that Doreswamy is a “fake freedom fighter” and behaves like a Pakistani agent.
Slamming Yatnal, Opposition leader in the assembly Siddaramaiah stated in his recent tweet, “Doreswamy has sacrificed his entire life fighting for causes in the interest of the country. He leads movements even at this old age. Yatnal does not have any qualification to speak ill about such a great person. His statement is backed by the BJP Karnataka, otherwise, he would not have made such statements in public. People like him, who disturb peace in society, should not be in public life.’’
JDS senior leader Kumaraswamy too condemned Yatnal’s statement, saying it is unfortunate that Yatnal made an attempt to sully the image of Doreswamy. Former home minister Ramalinga Reddy said, “We will raise this issue in the House. We have the CLP meeting on March 2, where our leaders will decide. Doreswamy had criticised our government too when garbage was sent to the Mandur landfill. Then, JDS leaders had taken up the issue in both Houses then.”
Education Minister Suresh Kumar, who was speaking at Napoklu in Madikeri, said on Saturday that Doreswamy spoke ill about Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
“If you speak unpleasant, you will get to listen unpleasant. Doreswamy is a senior person. On the other side, Yatnal too should not have spoken like that. We respect Doreswamy and have seen him participating in many agitations. This should not have happened.”
Ballari MLA Somashekar Reddy defending Yatnal, said, “If Doreswamy is a freedom fighter, he should be patriotic. He should respect the unity and integrity of the nation. I support Yatnal and there is nothing wrong in what he said.”