Belagavi: Former minister and MLA Ramesh Jarkiholi denied that he and MLA Basangouda Patil Yatnal have been making efforts to get former deputy chief minister K S Eshwarappa back into BJP. Eshwarappa has been sacked by the national leaders of BJP and it's for them to decide on his reentry.
We are not making any such efforts and during the meeting held at Eshwarappa’s residence recently, 2A reservations for the Lingayat Panchamsali community and scheduled tribes reservations for the Kuruba community were discussed, but politics was not discussed. Eshwarappa was the leader of a backward community and we respect him, he stated.
Jarkiholi told reporters here on Friday he received a call from Yatnal after landing at Bengaluru airport and was asked to come to Eshwarappa’s residence.
"I was unaware that MLA Raju Gowda was present there and if I had any inkling, would not have visited KSE's residence," he said.
"I and Yatnal are not making any efforts to get Eshwarappa back into BJP. Our meeting cannot be termed as a dissident activity. We have made our stand known before party leaders and shall not speak in public or media about that. We are party loyalists and were strengthening the part," he said.
Also, he declined to respond to statements made by BJP State President B Y Vijayendra against them, by terming him as a junior.
"We shall work to get 120 to 140 MLAs of BJP elected in the next assembly election and come to power on our own. We are not making any efforts to dislodge the Congress government. We shall strengthen the party in all 224 assembly constituencies," Jharkiholi said.
Cabinet decided to withdraw general consent given to CBI for investigating cases in the state fearing that investigations would be undertaken against those in the government.
CBI has been investigating cases against Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar and the MUDA land scam involving Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has come to the fore. People who feel injustice being meted out to them could approach the judiciary to get the cases investigated by CBI, he stated.
Siddaramaiah has been accused of being involved in the MUDA land scam and Karnataka High Court too has upheld the permission given by Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot for his prosecution. The chief minister needs to recall his words used when accusations were made against former chief minister B S Yeddiyurappa and demanded his resignation. He should follow suit now, Jarkiholi demanded.
"All are aware of who in Congress has got the party embarrassed by getting Siddaramaiah accused in the MUDA land scam. I shall not take anybody’s name," he said.
Regarding BJP taking the MUDA land scam to a logical end, but being silent on Karnataka Maharishi Valmiki Scheduled Tribes Development Corporation funds embezzlement, he said--"I have made my stand clear at the party forum'.