Congress trying to grab power through the back door: BJP

Its demand for imposition of President's rule in Karnataka condemnable

The Bharatiya Janata Party on Thursday charged the Congress with attempting to “grab” power in Karnataka through the back door.

The Congress' demand of President's rule in Karnataka was condemnable and deeply unfortunate, BJP spokesperson Ravi Shankar Prasad said at a news conference

Mr. Prasad wanted to know if it was a signal to Governor H.R. Bhardwaj. “We have a popularly elected government in Karnataka. The BJP has won every single election in the State including that of local bodies. What is the rationale behind the demand for President's rule?” he said.

The BJP would never allow the Congress to succeed in its designs. Its legislature party would elect a new leader and the government would complete its five-year term.

Asked as to what prompted the party to act against Mr. Yeddyurappa now when it failed to act in the face of so many charges earlier, Mr. Prasad said the party always held the view that there was no indictment of the Chief Minister by any court.

“Now there is an indictment and we acted.” Illegal mining was wrong and action must be taken against those involved in it.

Mr. Prasad said the Congress was in power for a long time in Karnataka and it would be impossible to believe that there was no illegal mining during the party regimes.

Asked if the Ministers in the present government indicted by the Lokayukta would find a place in the new Council of Ministers, he said that it was the prerogative of the new Chief Minister to choose his team. He however hastened to add that if Mr. Yeddyurappa had to go because of indictment, it was obvious that all those indicted would be judged by the same yardstick.