Facing flak for ‘failure’ to rein in those who vandalized churches in parts of the state, the BJP government in Karnataka on Monday decided to invoke the stringent Goonda Act against the culprits.

The decision, adopted at an emergent meeting of the state cabinet, comes after a week-long unrest the state witnessed in the form of attacks on about 20 churches and prayer halls volved in attacks on places of worship under the Goonda Act", Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa told a press conference issuing a stern warning to perpetrators of the attacks.

He also accused the opposition parties of trying to topple his government.

"Opposition Congress and JD(S) have hatched a conspiracy to somehow topple the BJP Government", Yeddyurappa, whose government is yet to complete four months in office, charged a day after the VHP dismissed the hand of Sangh Parivar outfits in the attacks.

Yeddyurappa also hit out at the Centre accusing it of ‘bias’ towards the BJP-ruled state in sending warning advisories in the wake of the attacks.

Why similar advisories were not sent to the Congress

government in Delhi after serial bomb blasts and to the then S M Krishna Government in Karnataka, which the Supreme Court at that time said had no moral right to continue in office because of failure to nab forest brigand Veerappan, he said.

Taking a swipe at JD(S) leader and former Prime Minister H D Devegowda and his son and former chief minister H D Kumaraswamy for demanding the dismissal of his government, Yeddyurappa said "frusturated at losing power, Kumaraswamy and his father are speaking whatever that comes to their mind, losing their (mental) balance"

... contd.