Janata Dal (Secular) president H.D. Kumaraswamy has admitted that the disgruntled Belur Gopalakrishna, BJP MLA, had met him recently.
Addressing presspersons here on Tuesday, Mr. Kumaraswamy said they had discussed the ‘political situation in the State’ during the meeting. “In fact, I advised him against taking any hasty decision,” he said.
He went on to say that the Congress and the BJP had misused the ‘strength’ of the JD(S) to meet their political ends and he did not want to take the blame of toppling the BJP government.
“I told Mr. Gopalakrishna not to involve the JD(S) to settle dissidence within the BJP,” he said.
He said the JD(S) was in no way responsible for the fate of B.S. Yeddyurappa or D.V. Sadananda Gowda.
‘I extended an invite’
On the resignation of Halady Srinivas Shetty as BJP MLA, and his reported interest in joining the JD(S), Mr. Kumaraswamy said; “I did not invite Mr. Haladi to topple the government. I extended an invitation to him to join the JD(S) in the interest of the State.”
When asked about his party cautioning Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar “to be careful during the session” and on whether BJP rebels had sought the support of the JD(S), he said none from the BJP had approached him.
“I told Mr. Shettar that there were many detractors in the BJP and to address the dissidence on a priority. I also asked him not to blame the JD(S) if the government falls,” he said.
Reacting to the Congress dubbing the Muslim convention a “political gimmick” of the JD(S), he said the Congress had no moral right to criticise them as they had used Muslims as vote banks.
He also rubbished allegations that the JD(S) was responsible for the defeat of Congress candidate Iqbal Ahmed Saradagi in the recent elections to the Legislative Council. “Congress leaders deliberately defeated Mr. Saradagi as he was the candidate of Union Labour Minister M. Mallikarjun Kharge.”
