K’taka war on as Yeddy serves ‘friend’ Guv an ultimatum

Otherwise,he said,he would embark on a state-wide tour in an open jeep addressing road-side rallies to build public opinion from tomorrow.

Yeddyurappa’s ultimatum comes a day after both he and Bhardwaj displayed brief bonhomie in the midst of a raging political war over the Governor’s recommendation for imposing President’s rule in the state.

Law Minister S Suresh Kumar,flanked by several Ministers,said a massive protest rally,led by the chief minister himself,would be staged in front of the Mahatma Gandhi statue here tomorrow if the Governor did not give his approval by this evening for holding the session.

Key office-bearers and ministers would decide on the future agitational course after tomorrow’s rally,which would be attended by legislators,partymen and members of the public,Suresh Kumar and Home Minister R Ashoka said.

Suresh Kumar said there was a suggestion that the Chief Minister should conduct a state-wide tour to elicit public opinion from day after tomorrow.

A ministerial delegation,led by Yeddyurappa,had met the Governor yesterday and requested him to convene the session to pass the full budget,to which Bhardwaj had told them that he was awaiting the Centre’s decision on his recommendation to impose President’s rule.

The Governor had asked the chief minister to wait for a “day or two” on the issue of his approval for the session.

Suresh Kumar said there was no response from the Governor on the May 13 cabinet decision on holding the session from May 16. And now,even four days after another cabinet decision,taken on May 16 to hold the session from June two,there is no word from the Governor.

“This is unprecedented. Never in the history of Karnataka has a Governor delayed or refused approval for holding a session”,he said.

He said the Governor should either give his approval or reject it.”Keeping it lingering will not serve any purpose”.

“The Governor should act as per provisions of the Constitution. The Governor should not act as per provisions of some other constituencies. The cabinet has sent two resolutions as per article 163 of the Constitution to the Governor,which he is bound to accept”,Suresh Kumar said.

Lashing out at Bhardwaj for his refusal to meet ten MLAs who went to Raj Bhavan on May 15 citing non-availability of staff,he said “the same governor had time to compile a special report and send it to the Centre with the help of the staff”.

“It has become inevitable for the government to take to agitational course if Governor sends no communication by this evening permitting holding of the session form June two”,he said.

Ministers R Ashok,Dr V S Acharya,B N Bacchegowda,C M Udasi,Basavaraj Bommai,A Naryanaswamy and C H Vijayashankar were present at the press conference.

The Governor had sent a special report to the Centre recommending President’s rule after the Supreme Court quashed the Assembly Speaker’s order disqualifying 11 BJP rebel MLAs and five independents ahead of the trust vote on October 10 last year.

The action of Bhardwaj who has been at loggerheads with ruling BJP had triggered a fresh round of political crisis in the state.