BENGALURU: In what may be considered a setback for the Karnataka Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Minister K S Eshwarappa the BJP national president J P Nadda had called him up over the phone and reportedly reprimanded him over his alleged statement that the saffron flag may replace the national flag atop the Red Fort in New Delhi sometime in future.
Eshwarappa admitted that Nadda had called him up, however, maintained that the national president might not have the complete information with regard to the issue, and chief minister Basavaraj Bommai will convince him (Nadda).
"I spoke to the chief minister Basavaraj Bommai who felt that Nadda might not have complete information over the issue and will, in turn, speak to him and convince. Both CM and the law minister J C Madhuswamy have answered the opposition leaders' in the session itself," he told reporters here on Tuesday after calling on the governor Thawarchand Gehlot at Raj Bhavan.
Although a section of media reported that the governor had summoned him, the unfazed, Eshwarappa said that it was owing to a pre-scheduled appointment and he was part of the Kuvempu University syndicate member and others that met the governor.
In an interview with the national media J P Nadda while replying to a query had clarified that the BJP will never tolerate the insult to the national flag.
"We are law-abiding people and the nationalists who will have to safeguard the constitution of the country. Eshwarappa had tried to convince me by explaining the context of his statement while replying to DK Shivakumar's allegations. But I had told him nothing when it came to the issue of the national flag", it is reported.
Eshwarappa soon issued a statement saying that "J P Nadda is our national president. We have to listen to him as a party worker, which is our duty. But the CM and the law minister had already replied to the opposition leaders what was wrong and what was not in the assembly".
Defending himself further Eshwarappa had said that he did not mean he will hoist the bhagwa flag replacing the national flag but was replying to the KPCC president D K Shivakumar as the latter had made a false statement that the saffron flag has replaced the national flag at a government school.
The leader of opposition B K Hariprasad who actually played a key role in the national flag issue getting prominence said that Nadda pulling up K S Eshwarappa is not enough as it is an issue related to insulting the national flag.
"If they (BJP) are true nationalists they should remove Eshwarappa from all his posts. We will chalk out a plan to take the next course of our protest after calling on the governor", he stated.
"Look at the irony- State Govt is in a hurry to defend Eshwarappa's anti-national statement, whereas BJP National President J.P Nadda has rebuked the same statement.
There is clearly a lack of coordination and understanding between the double engine governments(sic)" tweeted D K Shivakumar.