Bangalore:
Former Prime Minister Deve Gowda has apologised "to the people of Karnataka" for openly abusing Chief Minister BS Yeddyurappa. But not so fast, says the BJP.
Yeddyurappa's party has strongly condemned the use of unparliamentary language and has said Deve Gowda's remarks are "completely unacceptable". It wants a public apology to the Chief Minister. Deve Gowda, however, has said he owes an apology only to the people of Karnataka. His son, Kumaraswamy has spoken in his father's defense saying that the BJP should not involve itself in the issue and that his father was stressed. (
Watch: Kumaraswamy defends father)
H.D. Kumaraswamy tried to calm things down. "I am not justifying yesterday's remarks from the former Prime Minister. He was supporting farmers in his protest against the government's decision on the NICE company. I think he expressed some words in that tension. He has already regretted that. I request the government and the BJP leaders not to precipitate this issue further."
Not only stressed but "distressed", says the BJP, because "Gowda has been out of power."
"It seems Deve Gowda needs some medical assistance," party leader Rajiv Pratap Rudy suggested on Monday. "He has himself said he's stressed... His son should look after the ailing father," he added. (
Watch: BJP leader Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi slams Gowda statement)
And the man at the receiving end of Deve Gowda's vitriol, Yeddyurappa, says the JD(S) chief has insulted not only him, "but also six crore people of Karnataka."
On Sunday, Deve Gowda lashed out at Yeddyurappa at a farmers' rally in connection with the controversial Bangalore-Mysore Infrastructure Project, promoted by Nandi Infrastructure Corridor Enterprise (NICE), at Hemmigepura village near Bangalore. He was supporting the farmers' cause.
"Who is this Yeddyurappa? Bas...d. Who the hell does Yeddyurappa think he is? Does he have any shame. This is the man who hid behind Shobha Karandlaje to save himself. He said he will resign from BJP and join JD(S) to become a minister. What is this non-sense," a fuming Gowda said.
Karandlaje, who is considered close to the chief minister, resigned at the peak of the crisis in the BJP government late last year.
"He can go to any extent for the sake of money. My father did not give me birth to resort to such cheap actions like Yeddyurappa," said Deve Gowda, who lost his cool when asked by a newsman for his comments to the Chief Minister calling the infrastructure project a brainchild of the former PM.
Gowda has said excess land is being granted to Nandi Infrastructure Corridor Enterprise (NICE). Yeddyurappa says the land allotment had been done as per the framework agreement and verdicts of courts. After the BJP government came to power, it had notified only 3.1 acres of land at Gottigere tank near Kengeri on the city outskirts for the project, he said.
Reacting to Gowda's outburst, Yeddyurappa said Sunday: "I am deeply hurt", adding that the JD(S) chief was "desperate" to hit out at him" and was therefore "using such words". "He has lost his mental balance".
On Monday, he said: Yeddyurappa said Gowda was hurling abuses at others "taking advantage of the former prime minister status.He talks lightly about the Chief Minister, the Advocate General."
In a warning, he said, "I can also make similar caustic remarks. But I won't do that. Let him stop provoking me."
Yeddyurappa, however, ruled out any legal action against the JD(S) chief, remarking sarcastically: "Gowda himself is a legal expert. What legal action can I take".
But the Karnataka unit of the BJP will not let the matter pass. BJP workers held a dharna at the busy Basaweshwara circle near Vidhan Soudha, the state secretariat, on Monday morning and chanted anti-Gowda slogans. BJP leader D B Chandre Gowda said that the former prime minister's remarks amounted to an insult to the entire state and the people and he should tender an apology.
"NICE project is the baby of Deve Gowda. The MoU for the project was signed when Deve Gowda was the Chief Minister", Chandra Gowda, flanked by city BJP MLAs, said, adding, the former Prime Minister was raking up the issue with an eye on next month's polls to the city civic body, Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP).