Strongly defending Bharatiya Janata Party national president Nitin Gadkari, who has been accused of dubiously funding companies promoted by him, party strategist Sudheendra Kulkarni on Friday asked those gunning for him to wait for the truth to come out through an inquiry.
“I know Mr. Gadkari very well. He has said he is ready to face any inquiry into the allegations made against him. So let the truth come out,” he told a meet-the-press programme jointly organised by the Press Club of Bangalore and Bangalore Reporters’ Guild here.
Launching a counterattack on the UPA government, which has ordered an inquiry against Mr. Gadkari, he said let the UPA show the same seriousness in probing far more serious allegations made against their leaders.
Yeddyurappa case
When asked if it was proper for the BJP to allow Mr. Gadkari to continue as national president when it forced B.S. Yeddyurappa to quit as Chief Minister following his indictment in the Lokayukta report on illegal mining, Mr. Kulkarni said both cases were different.
“There is a difference between allegations and charges. What we have with respect to Mr. Gadkari is only allegations without proof,” he said, desisting from commenting on the nature of cases being faced by Mr. Yeddyurappa.
But he was all praise for Mr. Yeddyurappa’s contribution to the party’s development in Karnataka.
“Mr. Yeddyurappa has made a major contribution to the growth of the party, which came to power from being a marginal force some time ago. He is a mass leader. Losing a leader like Mr. Yeddyurappa is a matter of concern,” he said, while referring to queries on the former Chief Minister’s plan to quit the party.
He described Mr. Gadkari as a person who has brought new dynamism to the party through emphasis on development.
