The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : ‘Yeddyurappa, legislators not bothered about people’s problems’

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Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

‘Yeddyurappa, legislators not bothered about people’s problems’

Special Correspondent

Bangarappa comes down on MLAs’ trip to the United States

Action on Gokarna temple criticised
‘Mining money has brought rewards
for BJP’

BANGALORE: Samajawadi Party State president S. Bangarappa on Saturday took exception to the U.S. visit of Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa and BJP MLAs at a time when the State was facing several problems.

“They are so crazy about a foreign trip that they are not bothered about the sufferings of the people,” Mr. Bangarappa told presspersons here. Referring to the stand of the Government before the Karnataka High Court that the travel expenditure of only the Chief Minister, his official staff and the Ministers was being taken care of by it, he wanted an inquiry to know who was footing the bill of the legislators.

Mr. Bangarappa charged the BJP with trying to divide people on religious issues. A case in point was the handing over of the historic Gokarna temple in Uttara Kannada to the Ramachandrapura Math of Shimoga. Mr. Bangarappa also opposed the decision of the Government to raise bus fares. He also condemned the violence against Christians in Orissa.

Taking exception to “Operation Lotus” under which the MLAs from other parties were being wooed by the BJP, Mr. Bangarappa alleged that the “mining money” was being used to lure the defectors. Such defections as well as the act of rewarding them with ministerial berths had brought a bad name for democracy in the State.

Mr. Bangarappa appeared optimistic about an alliance between his party and the Congress for the Lok Sabha elections.

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