Karnataka Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa will not file a petition, either in the High Court or the Supreme Court, against the sanction granted by Governor H.R. Bhardwaj to prosecute him. Instead, some of the others mentioned as accused in the case will challenge on Monday the criminal complaint filed in the lower court.
Sources close to the Chief Minister told The Hindu that Mr. Yeddyurappa, who made a quick trip to New Delhi on Sunday to consult party bosses and legal experts, was advised to “go slow.” He will file a petition in the High Court, if need be, at a later stage. A battery of senior advocates is preparing a petition highlighting the “lapses committed by the Governor.”
A high-level BJP delegation, led by L.K. Advani and comprising Leaders of the Opposition in Parliament Sushma Swaraj and Arun Jaitley, will call on President Pratibha Patil on Monday to demand the recall of the Governor, who, in the view of the BJP, “has overstepped his limits and was functioning as a political agent of the Opposition parties rather than upholding the Constitution which is expected of him.”
A memorandum highlighting the Governor's role and his statements thus far has been prepared. Neither Mr. Yeddyurappa nor any member of his Council of Ministers will form part of the delegation. All 24 BJP MPs from Karnataka, including Rajya Sabha members, and State BJP president K.S. Eshwarappa will be in the delegation.
Meanwhile, BJP general secretary Prakash Javadekar, who was here on Sunday, said the party had initiated an inquiry into land scam cases made out against the Chief Minister. The Governor is yet to announce his decision on granting sanction to prosecute the Home Minister. Among the others called as accused in the case are the two sons of the Chief Minister, his son-in-law and a former Minister, S.N. Krishnaiah Setty, who is the Chairman of the Karnataka Muzrai Board.
The complaint of the two advocates (who have been granted sanction to prosecute the Chief Minister) as conveyed to the Governor identifies 12 persons as accused in the land scam cases and of them the Chief Minister is identified as accused no.1 and Minister for Home and Transport R. Ashok as accused no. 9. The advocates also included a statement showing the pecuniary gain received by the Chief Minister and his family members in respect of certain instances listed therein, and the total pecuniary gain from these instances, linked to the use of official position, was mentioned as Rs. 371.24 crore.
“Party backing me”
J. Balaji reports from New Delhi:
Mr. Yeddyurappa claimed that the BJP central leadership was fully backing him. “They have even asked me to go ahead with my fight and not to quit,” he told The Hindu reiterating that he would continue his fight against the Governor “politically and legally. Why should I resign when I did no wrong?”
Mr. Yeddyurappa, who met Mr. Advani and Mr. Jaitley and a couple of lawyers including Ram Jethmalani, said he had told them how Mr. Bhardwaj had given sanction without going into the merits of the case and denying him an opportunity to give his version.
He discussed the possibilities of getting a court stay on the sanction and the proceedings of the case in Lok Ayuktha. The central leadership was also told about how he was “insulted” by the Governor, who even refused to give a copy of the sanction order to his Principal Secretary when he sought it.
Though he wanted to meet Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram, he could not do so as the Minister was out of Delhi. He criticised Law Minister M. Veerappa Moily for justifying the Governor's action. “Let him [Mr. Moily] read the opinion of legal experts appearing in the media slamming Mr. Bhardwaj's decision.”
