Chiding Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa over his flip-flop on the video clip that surfaced recently, former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said the former had become “double-tongued” after being pulled up by BJP national president and Home Minister Amit Shah.
As the BJP, on a back foot after the leaked video embarrassed the top leadership, trained its guns on Mr. Siddaramaiah for “creating confusion”, he hit back at Mr. Yediyurappa for his contradictory statements.
Addressing a gathering of Congress workers at Mundagod in Uttara Kannada district on Monday, Mr. Siddaramaiah said that after Mr. Yediyurappa admitted the truth about party top leaders’ involvement in mass resignation of the MLAs, Mr. Shah had started “punching” him, forcing him to change his version. Mr. Siddaramaiah said it was clearly one of the BJP’s own leaders who recorded and released the video. “The thieves are within your party. I pity you, Mr. Yediyurappa. Instead of blaming the Opposition, you teach them a lesson,” he said.
Earlier in the day, speaking to presspersons at Belagavi, Mr. Siddaramaiah rubbished allegations by BJP leaders that the Congress had fabricated videos to disturb the government. He asked: “Who were the participants of the BJP core committee in Hubballi? Was there anyone from another party?”
In his blistering attack, Mr. Yediyurappa accused Mr. Siddaramaiah of having no strength to face the byelections. “It is guaranteed that for the next three-and-a-half years he will remain the Leader of Opposition. As long as he is in the Congress, the party will not come to power. It will remain in the Opposition.” Mr. Yediyurappa said: “This [video leak] will not damage the BJP. The damage will be for the Congress, which will bite the dust.” He squarely blamed Mr. Siddaramaiah for the defections and fall of the government, arguing that the party or him had no role in it.
Meanwhile, BJP State general secretary N. Ravikumar alleged that the video was a “creation of Mr. Siddaramaiah” aimed at tarnishing the BJP. Revenue Minister R. Ashok, Health Minister Sriramulu and Panchayat Raj Minister K.S. Eshwarappa blamed the former Chief Minister for deliberately creating confusion using the leaked video as an evidence in the Supreme Court.
