Bengaluru, Jun 19 (IANS): After holding meetings for three days, Karnataka BJP in-charge, Arun Singh on Friday issued a stern warning to disgruntled leaders not speak against the party or its state leadership as the party will be giving full support to Chief Minister, B.S. Yediyurappa.
Singh, from the day one of his arrival on Wednesday evening, had been maintaining that there would be no change of leadership in the state.
Emerging out of the core committee meeting, Yediyurappa flashed a victory symbol, signalling that he has emerged stronger even after his detractors continued to make serious allegations against him and his younger son and state party Vice President B.Y. Vijayendra.
After attending the core committee meeting and prior to leaving for Delhi here, Singh said that Yediyurappa will remain at the helm of affairs and strict action will be taken against those who speak against the party and its decisions.
"There will be no leadership change in Karnataka. We also know that only two or three people are damaging the party by speaking against the BJP's interests. As a first step, we will try and make them understand about this. If they still remain adamant, then definitely, we will take action against them at the right time," he said.
He said that no one should cause any harm to the party's interests. "If at anyone wants to speak ill about anything, there are many issues channelising your energies... towards hitting out at opposition leaders and parties. Why not go after Congress party leaders like Rahul Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi and in state, Siddaramaiah and D.K. Shivakumar. It is a mandatory requirement that our party leaders must speak good about BJP, its policies and its governments, be it at the centre or at the state," he insisted.
The BJP "is a big party and workers have put their heart and soul in it to make it the most successful party in recent times, therefore, all must work together to take the good work done by our leaders and workers", he said.
Echoing the similar sentiments, state Revenue Minister R. Ashoka wondered why every day, and every month this issue of leadership change keeps cropping up, and noted that the party has now firmly decided to put an end to it once and for all by deciding that Yediyurappa will continue to be Chief Minister.
Earlier in the day, Yediyurappa had ruled out any crisis in the party and rubbished charges levelled against him and his son, Vijayendra.
Among his chief detractors are Hubli-Dharwad West MLA Arvind Bellad who claimed that his phone being tapped and his movement being constantly monitored, MLC A.H. Vishwanth, who alleged that Vijayendra was receiving huge kickbacks in the upper Bhadra project while Vijayapura MLA Basanagouda Patil Yatnal had been demanding Yediyurappa's replacement for the last several months.