The Hindu : Karnataka News : No change in Datta Jayanti plan: BJP

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Dec 22, 2004

Karnataka

Karnataka

No change in Datta Jayanti plan: BJP

By Our Special Correspondent

HAVERI, DEC. 21. The Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Assembly, B.S. Yediyurappa, has made it clear that there is no change in the three-day Datta Jayanti programme at Bababudangiri beginning on Friday.

Speaking to presspersons here today, Mr. Yediyurappa said leaders of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) are planning to meet the Chief Minister, N. Dharam Singh, in a last-minute bid to convince him on the rights of Hindus to offer puja at the shrine. "But regardless of the outcome of the talks, we will go ahead with our programme," the BJP leader said.

Mr. Yediyurappa, who along with other party leaders visited the shrine on Monday and held talks with officials in the district, said the officials are acting very strangely despite the judicial verdict, which is "in our favour," at the behest of some local leaders.

Mr. Yediyurappa claimed that the High Court judgment was in their favour and the appeal filed by the other party had been dismissed by the Supreme Court. The Datta Jayanti was held peacefully last year when more than 40,000 people turned up, he said.

Welcomed

Mr. Yediyurappa welcomed the statement of the Lokayukta, N. Venkatachala, that he would take action on his own in filing chargesheets directly. He wondered why the State Government, which is committed to the eradication of corruption, is dragging its feet on the question of strengthening the Lokayukta by amending the Lokayukta Act. He said he would urge the Government to introduce the amendment in the forthcoming session of the legislature.

HE reminded the Government that a committee for the eradication of corruption had been constituted by the previous Government under the chairmanship of the Chief Secretary, but nothing was known about the work done by the committee. No one was aware whether the committee is functioning or has been wound up.

Litigation

He said the BJP is contemplating filing public interest litigation in the Karnataka High Court if the Government goes ahead with the move to appoint parliamentary secretaries. He charged the Dharam Singh Government with trying to circumvent the constitutional limit on the size of the Ministry by taking recourse to appointing parliamentary secretaries.

He also questioned the wisdom of the State Government in using the chairmanship of boards and corporations as an avenue for the political rehabilitation of party workers.

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