The Hindu : BJP objects to Krishna's remarks

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Mar 20, 2004

Karnataka

Karnataka

BJP objects to Krishna's remarks

By Our Special Correspondent

BANGALORE, MARCH 19. The BJP has taken exception to the remarks of the Chief Minister, S.M. Krishna, that the BJP President, M. Venkaiah Naidu, had not done much for Karnataka, though he was elected to the Rajya Sabha from the State.

The Union Law Minister, Arun Jaitley, who is in charge of BJP affairs in the State, told presspersons that Mr. Naidu, who had enormous responsibilities first in the Government and now in the party, had constantly been in touch with the State. The State BJP President, H.N. Ananth Kumar, endorsed this by stating that as Union Minister for Rural Development, Mr. Naidu had been responsible for getting foodgrains released to Karnataka.

Mr. Jaitley said Mr. Krishna had begun a diversionary campaign and had scored a "self-goal." Mr. Krishna had forgotten that the Congress President, Sonia Gandhi, had "betrayed" Karnataka by giving up the Bellary parliamentary seat after getting a mandate. Ms. Gandhi had promised development projects for Bellary to the tune of Rs. 3,000 crore, but nothing had come, he said.

On a possible tie-up with the Janata Dal (U) in Karnataka, Mr. Jaitley repeated that the Janata Dal (U) had been "substantially depleted" here and hoped that its leaders would understand this ground reality.

The actress Vinaya Prasad and her director husband Jyothi Prakash have joined the BJP. Ms. Prasad, who has acted in Kannada, Malayalam, Telugu and Tamil films and television serials said that she was convinced of the BJP's ideology and would campaign for the party.

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