From Our Special Correspondent

Daijiworld Media Network

Bengaluru, Feb 24: Going for Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaih’s jugular following the exposure of ‘massive payoffs of funds’ to Congress high command as mentioned the diary belonging to Congress MLC Govindaraju, State BJP President B S Yeddyurappa has said “it is inevitable” on the part of the Chief Minister to resign and dissolve the State Assembly.

The former BJP Chief Minister, who spoke to reporters at his residence on Friday, recalled that he (Siddaramaiah) had offered to retire from politics if the incriminating details in the diary did not come out.

“I personally do not want him (the chief minister) to resign. Instead, let him recommend for the dissolution of the Assembly,’’ he said.
Yeddyurappa challenged the Chief Minister: ``Let us go to the people’s court. Let the chief minister admit the injustice meted out to the people by his government on this auspicious Shivarathri day.’’

According to the BJP President, it was a crime of a huge dimension and unbelievable enormity to provide crores of funds to party high command that actually belonged to the people.

“Nobody needs the proposed steel flyover except the Congress politicians as they have received Rs 65 crore kickbacks in this project. I had mentioned this in one of my statements. I stand vindicated. In fact, the contents of the diary are explosive in nature as names of many ministers are mentioned in it,” the BJP president explained.

On the statement made by Congress Working President Dinesh Gundu Rao that it was BJP’s conspiracy to defame the Congress, Yeddyurappa remarked: "It is ridiculous. In fact, He (Dinesh Gundu Rao) has become a butt of ridicule. Nobody needs a mirror to see the wound on the palm. The diary was seized from Govindaraju’s residence. Mahajar was done and signature of two witnesses were obtained. If Govindaraju speaks untruth, he will be in more trouble."

The BJP leader felt it would be wise if the chief minister admits of having provided funds to the high command but he had no role to play.

According to Yeddyurappa, there was a qualitative difference between the Sahara-Birla diary and the diary that belonged to Govindaraju.

“In the diary that belonged to Govindaraju, names of the recipients as well as the one who offered the money have been clearly mentioned. Whichever minister is caught in this multi-crore pay off will suffer. Thousands of crores have been siphoned in irrigation and PWD departments. If a thorough enquiry is conducted, the truth will come out,” he explained.

Yeddyurappa said the IT officials have seized the diary which had about 24 to 28 pages but he does not have information whether names of any other minister has been mentioned.

The BJP leader, however, did not comment on the entry in the Sahara-Birla diary that mentioned the words ‘Gujarat Chief Minister’ and claimed that the Supreme Court itself had demanded more credible proof to order a probe.