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Thursday, Sep 27, 2007
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Talks on transfer of power suspended

Karnataka Bureau

Gowda cancels appointment with Rajnath Singh

BANGALORE: The political scenario in Karnataka took a dramatic turn on Wednesday with discussions between the Janata Dal (Secular) and the Bharatiya Janata Party on transfer of power being suspended.

Complaint against Kumaraswamy

This development came in the wake of a complaint filed in the Cowl Bazaar police station, Bellary, against Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy by Minister for Tourism B. Sriramulu of the BJP.

The complaint also named political secretary to the Chief Minister N. Suryanarayana Reddy and Sandeep Patil, Additional Superintendent of Police, Bellary, among others, accusing them of hatching a criminal conspiracy to murder him.

Highly placed sources in the Janata Dal (S) told The Hindu here that the former Prime Minister and Janata Dal (S) president, H.D. Deve Gowda, who left for Delhi on Wednesday evening to hold discussions with BJP president Rajnath Singh, cancelled his appointment and would return here on Thursday.

CM’s warning

The Chief Minister, taking exception to Mr. Sriramulu’s charge, issued a veiled threat to the BJP that “it should not give room for such incidents if it wants to be in the government.”

“A Minister in my own Cabinet submits a petition to the police alleging that I had hatched a conspiracy to murder him. Another leader of the BJP from Bellary district declares publicly that he will not allow me to step into his district. If this is how they behave now, imagine how they might conduct themselves when they come to power,” the Chief Minister told reporters on Wednesday night after a Cabinet meeting.

“These incidents are an indication of the kind of pressure that I have been subjected to in the last 20 months,” he said.

“The BJP should not give room for such incidents that breach the trust between the coalition partners at a time when it has to continue in power for the next 20 months,” he said but hastened to add that this was not a threat to the BJP. “I will continue to be patient, as my main strength is patience.”

Mr. Kumaraswamy said he was pained at such behaviour by some BJP leaders. “This is the gift given to me by our coalition partner towards the fag end for all the patience and care taken by me to ensure that the coalition government was not affected.”

He ridiculed Mr. Sriramulu for declaring that he would undertake a padayatra from Bellary to Bangalore to submit his resignation after the urban local body polls. Mr. Kumaraswamy said: “Why does Sriramulu want to take the pain of walking all the way from Bellary? By the time he reaches Bangalore, everything might be over and it could be too late. If he is really interested in quitting, let him use the helicopter of his friends and reach Bangalore well in time.”

In Bellary, Superintendent of Police Amrit Paul said the police had received Mr. Sriramulu’s petition. No case had been registered, he said.

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