"BS Yediyurappa Has Sown Seed Of Vindictiveness": DK Shivakumar

Senior Congress leader DK Shivakumar, who was summoned by the Enforcement Directorate in a money laundering probe, on Friday accused Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa of "vindictive politics".

Alleging that various projects announced during the Congress-JDS government's tenure were being stalled, the former minister threatened BS Yediyurappa that he would stage a sit-in protest "if such orders are not withdrawn and projects not restored."

"I want to congratulate Mr Yediyurappa, a great friend of mine, who is now the Chief Minister of the state. On the floor of the assembly he had said he will not get into vindictive politics...I'm happy, I would like to congratulate him as he has sown the seed of vindictiveness," Mr Shivakumar said.

The Congress leader claimed that since BS Yediyurappa formed a government in the state, vindictive action had been going on against the Congress and JD(S) legislators.

"Directions have been given to all officials to put projects on hold. Various BJP ministers, legislators and workers are forcing the officers to stop the projects as all of them will be cancelled," he told reporters.

Mr Shivakumar termed the Enforcement Directorate action against him a ''conspiracy'' to defame him and his party.

Claiming that the development projects had been stalled in the Bangalore rural Lok Sabha constituency, which is represented by his brother D K Suresh, Mr Shivakumar said it was his desire to have a medical college in Kanakapura.

"It was sanctioned, the tender was called in and the plan was being finalized, the cabinet too had cleared it. We were suppose to do a bhoomi pooja (land breaking ceremony), but it did not happen due to the political unrest in the state. After Yediyurappa came to power,  his single-member cabinet cancelled the medical college and shifted it to Chikkaballapura," he claimed.

"It is unfortunate. I never expected Yediyurappa to indulge in vindictive politics," the Congress leader said as he appealed to the Chief Minister to withdraw the order immediately.

"Otherwise, I will have to fight it politically...I will have to sit on a dharna in front of the Gandhi statue at Vidhana Soudha (the state secretariat) till that medical college starts functioning. Till my last breath, I will fight for the people of my constituency. I will also protest against vindictive politics towards our Congress-JD(S) MLAs," he added.