MYSORE: Ridiculing the move to expel him from the Janata Dal (S), the party president and former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda said his senior party colleagues who had threatened to act against him were ignorant of the party's constitution.

Participating in a meet-the-press programme organised by the Mysore Reporters' Guild here on Sunday, Mr. Deve Gowda asked his party colleagues to study the party's constitution before issuing such statements.

Mr. Deve Gowda was reacting to the reported move by senior party leaders M.P. Veerendra Kumar, Surendra Mohan and P.G.R. Sindhia to expel him from the party for supporting the JD (S)-BJP coalition Government in Karnataka.

Mr. Deve Gowda cautioned his senior party colleagues that he would not hesitate to use the constitutional powers vested in him as the national president of the party. "Our party has a constitution. As the president of the party, I have certain constitutional powers. I will use it at the right time," he said.

Mr. Deve Gowda wondered whether his detractors had read the constitution of the party. "Have they read it? Nowhere in the party constitution, had it been said that they should align themselves with the Congress. But, when there was a fractured verdict in the last elections, they had to forge an alliance with the Congress and these leaders did not raise their voice then," he said.

However, a visibly agitated Mr. Deve Gowda refused to entertain more questions from journalists on the issue.

In a joint statement, Mr. Veerendra Kumar, Mr. Surendra Mohan and Mr. Sindhia had said that Mr. Deve Gowda's expulsion was the only logical course left as he had "betrayed" the party by joining hands with "communal forces."

Accusing Mr. Deve Gowda of openly supporting the coalition Government in Karnataka formed by his son, H.D. Kumaraswamy, in alliance with the Bharatiya Janata Party, they said the national committee decision to suspend Mr. Kumaraswamy and others and its recommendation to the disciplinary committee for their expulsion still stood.

To a question on the impact of the outcome of the bypolls to the Chamundeshwari Assembly constituency in Mysore, Mr. Deve Gowda said there would be no threat to the coalition Government. "The coalition will continue to function without any problem," he said. To a question on disturbances during the bypolls, Mr. Deve Gowda said the Election Commission was also watching the situation. "There are poll observers who will take care of such situations. I need not comment on it," he said.

Mr. Deve Gowda spiked speculations that the JD (S) would join the National Democratic Alliance (NDA). "Don't you see what is happening in the byelection here. The Janata Dal (U) has fielded its candidate. Then, where is the question of joining the NDA?"

The former Prime Minister refused to react to the remarks made by Ashok Kheny, managing director of Nandi Infrastructure Corridor Enterprise (NICE), who had made a fresh appeal for allotment of land to complete the BMIC. "I don't want to react to the remarks of individuals. The issue is before the Supreme Court," he said.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail