Even as Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders are issuing repeated statements expressing confidence that the former Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa will not quit the party, he visited Hubli on Sunday and held a breakfast meeting with Muslim leaders.
Mr. Yeddyurappa visited the house of Arif Mujawar, an office-bearer of Anjuman-e-Islam, Hubli, and close aide of Congress leader and former Minister Jabbar Khan Honnali, and held a breakfast meeting with various Muslim leaders. Mr. Honnali was also present.
In fact, Mr. Honnali had gone to the Hubli airport to receive Mr. Yeddyurappa in the morning.
Mr. Yeddyurappa, who was here to participate in the State-level convention of Hugar community, first went to Mr. Mujawar’s house at Veerapur Oni and had a round of discussion with Mr. Honnali and others.
Mr. Honnali and Mr. Yeddyurappa were felicitated on the occasion and supporters of both the leaders raised slogans.
Kundagol MLA S.I. Chikkanagoudar, MLC Mohan Limbikai, the former MLA Ashok Katwe were among those present on the occasion.
Later, addressing a gathering outside Mr. Mujawar’s residence, Mr. Yeddyurappa listed out measures initiated by the government for the welfare of the Muslim community when he was the Chief Minister.
He said every community was important in a democracy and he believed in taking everyone together.
Earlier, speaking to journalists at the airport, Mr. Yeddyurappa reiterated his stand to quit the BJP. He said reports about BJP’s national leaders and Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi trying to convince him remain in the party were the creation of a section of the media.
“So far, no central leader has tried to pacify me,” he said.
He clarified that nowhere had he said he would resign from the membership of the Legislative Assembly on November 7.
Mr. Yeddyurappa said that several leaders, including Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar, had requested him to remain in the party and he was grateful to them for their gesture.
