Veteran BJP leader B.S. Yediyurappa on Tuesday endorsed JD(S) leader H.D. Kumaraswamy’s allegations that there is corruption in the Congress dispensation and declared that he would join hands with him in the fight against corruption.
Former Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy had alleged that there is ‘YST’ in addition to GST in the State. While Mr. Kumaraswamy had not elaborated on it, ‘YST’ has been interpreted as “Yathindra (Chief Minister’s son) Sales Tax.” Mr. Kumaraswamy had further alleged that there was corruption in Chief Minister’s Office and somebody who had approached the CMO with a recommendation from an MLA had been asked to pay a bribe of ₹30 lakh.
Responding to Mr. Kumaraswamy’s allegations, Mr. Yediyurappa told mediapersons in Bengaluru on Tuesday that there was truth in such allegations. He also said that the party would join hands with Mr. Kumaraswamy in the fight against corruption.
‘Not an alliance’
Later, when a section of media interpreted it as an indication that the BJP would forge an alliance with JD(S) in the State, Mr. Yediyurappa was quick to issue a clarification that he was only supporting Mr. Kumaraswamy’s fight against corruption.
Meanwhile, the BJP that staged an one-day protest in Bengaluru against the alleged delay by the Congress in implementing its poll guarantees warned of taking up a statewide protest if the government failed to properly implement the guarantees.
“Today’s struggle is only a beginning,” said Mr. Yediyurappa who led the protest at Freedom Park in Bengaluru in which most of the party’s senior leaders, MPs and MLAs participated.
BSY to visit districts
“I will start visiting all the districts after the ongoing legislature session to hold meetings with party workers to prepare them for a State-level struggle against the anti-people policies of the Congress government,” he said. Taking exception to moves on withdrawing of anti-conversion legislation and anti-cow slaughter bill and also the decision to revise textbooks, he accused the Congress government of pursuing politics of vendetta.
Senior leader K.S. Eshwarappa predicted that the Congress government would not last more than three months. Referring to the political upheaval in the neighbouring Maharashtra, he remarked: “Karnataka’s Ajit Pawar is waiting to arrive in the scene.”
