While the BJP high command has been trying to distance itself from former Minister and mining baron G. Janardhana Reddy, who was arrested and released on bail in a cheating case, BJP State president B.S. Yeddyurappa termed his arrest “a political witch-hunt” on Saturday.
“I’m not defending Mr. Reddy, but his arrest clearly shows how the State government is misusing the Central Crime Branch,” he said. His comments come in the backdrop of reports that the two leaders met in the city on Friday late night and discussed political developments.
However, when quizzed about the meeting, Mr. Yeddyurappa chose not to answer.
This is not the first time that Mr. Yeddyurappa has supported Mr. Reddy, despite the high command’s dictum distancing the party from the former Minister. BJP national president Amit Shah made an explicit statement in April 2018, in the run up to the Assembly elections, that Mr. Reddy had nothing to do with the BJP. His statement came days after Mr. Yeddyurappa shared stage with Mr. Reddy in Chitradurga during a rally when B. Sriramulu filed his nomination papers for the polls.
Earlier, his comments that he had pardoned Mr. Reddy in the interest of the State, had caused a stir. Following Mr. Shah’s statement, Mr. Yeddyurappa clarified that Mr. Reddy was campaigning for his friend Mr. Sriramulu and not BJP.
