The Hindu : Karnataka News : Thippanna supports demand for probe against Krishna

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Saturday, Aug 14, 2004

Karnataka

Karnataka

Thippanna supports demand for probe against Krishna

By Our Special Correspondent

N. Thippanna (centre) accepting the Janata Dal(S) flag from the Minister for Industries, P.G.R. Sindhia, to mark his taking over as the new President of the party in Bangalore on Friday. The Minister for Higher Education, D. Manjunath, is at left. & #151; Photo: V. Sreenivasa Murthy

BANGALORE, AUG. 13. The new President of the Janata Dal(Secular), N. Thippanna, has come out in support of the party President, H.D. Deve Gowda's demand for an inquiry into the affairs of the Bangalore Development Authority and urged the previous Chief Minister, S.M. Krishna, to voluntarily face an inquiry.

Mr. Thippanna, who took over as the party President here on Friday, was speaking to The Hindu.

`What's wrong?'

About Mr. Deve Gowda's letter to the Chief Minister, N. Dharam Singh, seeking a probe against Mr. Krishna and the former BDA Commissioner, Jayakar Jerome, Mr. Thippanna retorted "is it wrong to write letters? It is common in a democracy for the head of a political party to seek a probe into the omissions and commissions of a government."

It would be appreciated if the head of the previous Government (Mr. Krishna) volunteered to face an inquiry, the former public prosecutor said. If exonerated, he could go scot-free and if indicted, he should be punished. There was nothing wrong in the demand for a CBI probe or a judicial inquiry. However it was for the Chief Minister to take a decision and the Janata Dal(S) leadership had placed the facts before him.

A conspicuous absentee when Mr. Thippanna took over as the party President was his predecessor and Deputy Chief Minister, Siddaramaiah, who was away in Mysore. Mr. Deve Gowda is in Mumbai.

Unity efforts

Mr. Thippanna spoke of the efforts for forging unity in the "Janata Parivar" and said the exercise would begin shortly. He would also work for the success of the coalition Government in the State.

He would try to bring all those who had deserted the party over the years together. Those who left the party in the recent past would be the first to be sounded to reconsider their decision and get back. He said there were many who were keen on getting back to the Janata Dal(S). "I would not like to name them at present but they are tall leaders in the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party. They have expressed a desire to return to the party and I will work out the modalities," he said.

Smooth run

Mr. Thippanna and the Secretary General of the Janata Dal(S) and Minister for Industries, Infrastructure Development and Civil Aviation, P.G.R. Sindhia, said the Janata Dal(S) would like to scotch the rumour being set afloat by some vested interests that the coalition Government would not last long. "We are committed to ensuring a smooth run for the coalition Government," they said.

Whether he would talk to the Janata Dal (United), headed by the former Minister, B. Somashekar, Mr. Thippanna said he would convince him that a united Janata Parivar would do a lot of good for both the parties and the people.

A section of the Janata Dal(S) leaders and workers appeared to have some reservations over the appointment of Mr. Thippanna, and two contenders for the post — former Ministers, H. Ekantaiah and Babagouda Patil, who are also Veerashaivas, feel sidelined.

The Higher Education Minister, D. Manjunath, was present.

Resentment continues

Our Bellary Staff Correspondent reports:

The resentment over the appointment of Mr. Tippanna has hit his home district, Bellary too. After N. Suryanarayan Reddy, Kurgodu MLA, announced on Thursday that he will resign as Member of the Legislative Assembly, several party workers from the Kurgodu Assembly segment, mostly his followers, staged a rasta roko in Kurgodu village on Friday.

The Revenue Minister, M.P. Prakash, is likely to meet the legislator on Saturday.

A large number of party workers assembled at the party office in the city and submitted a memorandum to senior leaders opposing the appointment and also urged them to persuade Mr. Reddy to withdraw his decision.

Basavanagowda from Vanenur accused Mr. Thippanna of working against the party and also against its candidate in the recent elections and expressed surprise over the party leadership selecting him for the top post.

Linganagowda of Y. Kaggal village said the contribution of Mr. Thippanna, when in power, to the party and the welfare of its workers was nil.

He said the party workers would launch a hunger strike in front of the residence of the former Prime Minister, H.D. Deve Gowda, if the party leadership failed to withdraw the decision.

The party workers, in their memorandum, have threatened the zilla, taluk and gram panchayats members and office-bearers of the party would quit if their demand was not met.

Bheemaneni Kondaiah, former MLA, and Hanumanthappa, secretary general of the party's district unit, told the party workers that they would take up the matter with the party High Command.

Welcomed

Meanwhile, several party leaders in Sirguppa taluk, including T.M. Chandrashekariah, former MLA, have welcomed the appointment of Mr. Thippanna.

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