MYSURU: JDS senior leader HD Kumaraswamy, who is on pre-poll Pancharathna Yatra, tried to woo Veerashaivas by highlighting the alleged injustice meted out to Lingayat strongman BS Yediyurappa by BJP senior leaders. BJP’s top duo of Narendra Modi and Amit Shah have pushed Yediyurappa to the wall and the Basavaraj Bommai government is being controlled from Delhi, he said. It is unfortunate that Yediyurappa was humiliated as a chief minister when he could not meet the Prime Minister and leaders, he added.
Meeting Veerashaiava leaders in Mysuru, Kumaraswamy said the community should forget and forgive him for not transferring power to Yediyurappa during the BJP-JDS 20:20 government. “I made no mistake in transferring power, but I have been made a scapegoat. Both Yashwant Sinha and Deve Gowda held talks before the coalition government was formed, but till date, I am not aware of what they discussed. I was reluctant to sign the agreement as the government was not formed with the intervention of the BJP high command, but after an understanding with Yediyurappa. Though I changed my mind and wanted to sign the agreement, the government collapsed,” he said.
“Yediyurappa was solely responsible for the growth of BJP in the state. What is the status and fate of Yediyurappa now? How is he being treated by the BJP high Command. It is high time that Veerashaivas supported the party candidates and helped groom young leaders from the community,” he said.
“Yediyurappa had shared the agony he suffered in BJP and wanted to join JDS.
I advised him against taking any hasty decision. As many leaders, including BJP MLAs from the Janata Parivar approached me, I went against the wishes of Deve Gowda and formed the government. But differences cropped over the transfer of officers and Janardhana Reddy’s Rs 150 crore corruption charge against me,” he said.
Kumaraswamy said he will start the Pancharathana Yatra in Bidar from January 8. “I hope that people, fed up with both Congress and BJP, are looking forward to JDS as an alternative and that many communities, including Veerashaivas, and other communities will support JDS,” he said.