BSY demands unconditional apology from Governor

Bangalore, January 21 (PTI): As the friction between his government and Governor H R Bhardwaj intensified, Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa Friday demanded an “unconditional” apology from him for making certain remarks against his ministry which he said had insulted the people of the state. Yeddyurappa, who has also convened a Cabinet meeting here tomorrow to discuss the fresh developments, said, “For his remarks, he (Bhardwaj) should tender an unconditional apology. He has insulted the people of the state.” “There is a need to take certain decisions. I have called a Cabinet meeting tomorrow”, an angry Yeddyurappa told reporters before attending the BJP Core Committee meet, which would discuss the Governor’s latest outbursts. It is learnt that the government is mulling adopting a resolution demanding immediate recall of the Governor.
Launching fresh onslaught on the BJP government, Bhardwaj had yesterday likened the state cabinet resolution asking him to drop proceedings on a complaint seeking permission to prosecute Yeddyurappa over alleged land scams to a “thief admonishing the police”, evoking sharp protests from the BJP. The state Cabinet had on Wednesday passed the resolution asking the Governor to drop the proceedings to prosecute Yeddyurappa and Home Minister R Ashok on a complaint with him, saying such a move was nothing short of a “farce and colourable” exercise on his part. The fresh provocation for BJP came from Bharadwaj’s “ulta chor kotwal ko dante” remark yesterday that mocked at the Cabinet resolution.
Dashing off a letter to the Governor last night within hours after Bhardwaj’s sniding remarks, an angry Yeddyurppa accused him of having “lowered the dignity of the Chief Minister, the entire cabinet and thereby the voters”. Yeddyurappa today said a delegation of BJP Central leaders and MPs from the state would meet President Pratibha Patil on January 24 at Rastrapathi Bhavan. “The delegation will bring to the notice of the President the conduct of the Governor and demand his recall”, he said. The Chief Minister alleged that the Governor had asked him to dissolve the Assembly. The state BJP is also holding a meeting of its Core Committee and its executive today to chart out its future course of plans to take on the Governor.