Bangalore, June 04: Janata Party working president and business tycoon Vijay Mallya today hinted that he was not inclined towards the process of unifying Janata Parivar in Karnataka, asserting his party was "here to stay". Mallya, who joined the Janata Party recently after making a dramatic exit from JD(U) as its vice-president, told reporters here that he would leave "no stone unturned" to build the party concentrating on Karnataka, his home state.
On a call for Janata Parivar unity by Hegde, whom Mallya considers as his mentor, he said he had "moved forward" with Janata Party with "full, complete and total support" of Hegde.
"Whatever Hegde feels, I will respect", he said but added that having blessed him to go ahead with Janata Party, he would be "very surprised" if Hegde were to tell him now to take a different course.
Mallya said he would be surprised if he were to be asked to shed the Janata Party symbol which was a valuable part of the organisation. "Everybody is welcome to join Janata Party", he said adding, "Janata Party is here to stay."
He reacted sharply to an allegation by some JD(U) leaders that Hegde's statement from London, where he underwent a brain surgery recently, calling for supporting Janata Party was "forged". "I don't stoop to the level of forgery. Hegde himself had issued the statement from London which can be verified from him and his office".
JD(U) leaders, he said, were "shocked" by Hegde's statement and they could not respond to it in a rational way and "that is why they started responding in an irrational manner."
Bureau Report