Zeenews Bureau
Bangalore: Facing the Opposition heat over alleged land scams, Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yeddyurappa on Thursday said that there was absolutely no threat to his government and the BJP leadership was satisfied with his government’s performance.
"I will continue as Chief Minister for the remaining two and a half years," he told reporters here.
The Chief Minister slammed the media of undermining his government’s reputation through its biased coverage of developments in the state, which has given the Opposition parties - the JD-S and the Congress – a reason to corner the ruling side.
"I spoke to our party President Nitin Gadkari last night and briefed him elaborately over the media reports (on the allegations)," said Yeddyurappa.
Chiding the Opposition parties for their relentless tirade against him Yedyyurappa said that they should act as the Opposition and will continue to be so for the next 20 years as he is putting in place a strong development based foundation in the state.
Speaking to reporters here, he also stressed that the central leadership of the BJP was extremely satisfied with his government’s performance, suggesting that the party is not looking at replacing him.
Yeddyurappa claimed that Gadkari expressed "happiness" over the performance of his government, even as party sources said the BJP chief will soon be visiting Bangalore for an on the spot assessment of the situation.
"The reports that Gadkari and RSS are unhappy with me are only a media creation," Yeddyurappa said.
Yeddyurappa denied that he had written to top BJP leaders against National General Secretary HN Anantkumar accusing him of working against his government and making
attempts to topple it.
"Anantkumar and myself have worked for building the party. There are no differences between us," the chiefminister said.
Indirectly referring to reports that some sections within the party are unhappy with him, he accused the media of creating controversies and that powerful party leader from the state Ananth Kumar is with him and that they are working together. “There is no problem inside the party,” he said.
Replying to a question over conducting a judicial probe into the alleged land scams in Karnataka, he said, “I have called a meeting of the state cabinet today. The cabinet will take a final decision on conducting a judicial probe into the notification and de-notification of lands and their transfer to the concerned parties.”
Yeddyurappa’s statement comes a day after the JD-S state president and former chief minister Kumaraswamy accused him of misusing his powers and benefiting his family by allegedly transferring large chunks of land to his sons and daughter.
Demanding a comprehensive inquiry into the alleged land deals under Yeddyurappa’s tenure, Kumaraswamy asked him to immediately step down as the Chief Minister of Karnataka.
Yeddyurappa had on Monday said he was ready to order a judicial probe into the charges of denotification and allotment of land and sites, including those to a firm in which his two sons are partners.
He had said that he was ready to order the probe by a retired Supreme Court judge if the opposition agreed.
Admitting that he allotted land to his sons and also a residential plot in Bangalore to his MP son B Y Raghavendra, Yeddyurappa said they were done in accordance with rules and procedures.
He also slammed the opposition for its "malicious propaganda" to damage the image of his family by "levelling baseless and trivial charges" and sought to turn the tables on them by "exposing" some cases involving the Opposition.
Justifying the denotification of land favouring his family members and allotment of two acres to a firm of which his two sons are partners, he said, "These have been done under the special provisions which has been in practice for several years and similar decisions were made by earlier governments."
The current crisis is the second in a month being faced by the BJP government. It had to, a fortnight back, seek trust vote twice in the Assembly after a group of BJP MLAs supported by Independents revolted against him.
