Date:19/11/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/11/19/stories/2008111955000500.htm

Karnataka - Bangalore

Congress and JD(S) have no vision: Sadananda Gowda

Special Correspondent

‘JD(S) convention was nothing but a floor managed show’
Nearly Rs. 4.30 crore spent on the convention, says Dhananjay Kumar

BANGALORE: The president of the State unit of the BJP, D.V. Sadananda Gowda, said on Tuesday that the Janata Dal (Secular) and the Congress had no vision for the State and both were behaving irresponsibly and making pointless statements that had been exposing their internal hollowness.

Addressing presspersons here, Mr. Sadananda Gowda said that the JD(S) rally in the city did not achieve anything other than creating traffic hazards for the people. It was neither a pro-JD(S) wave nor an anti-incumbency factor for the BJP. It was nothing but a floor managed show by the JD(S).

Mr. Sadananda Gowda said the BJP could not be threatened by such gimmicks. Former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda and his sons were now taking shelter under some “effete intellectuals” to hide their incompetence in politics.

Mr. Sadananda Gowda said Jnanapith Award winner U.R. Ananthamurthy had so many skeletons hidden in his cupboard and “we know everyone of them. Mr. Ananthamurthy had filed a false affidavit with the Government when J.H. Patel was Chief Minister for a G category site in the city. “There are many more and when time comes, I will come out with more,” he added.

He said Mr. Ananthamurthy had belittled the dignity of the award by joining hands with politicians and trying to cover up their deeds.

Meanwhile, BJP spokesperson Dhananjay Kumar told presspersons that the JD (S) convention was “an ugly display of strength”. He alleged that the JD(S) had spent nearly Rs. 4.30 crore on the event.

He alleged that JD(S) workers had attacked former Minister C. Chennigappa after the convention. They were unable to tolerate the fact that Mr. Chennigappa was playing a special role of ensuring the victory of BJP candidate in the Madhugiri constituency in the coming byelection.

Mr. Dhananjay Kumar and Transport Minister R. Ashok had to face a barrage of questions from presspersons on why the BJP was quiet when its MP H.T Sangliana was attacked by party workers. They declined comment on whether it was proper on the part of the BMTC and KSRTC to provide a large number of buses to the JD(S) for the convention, causing inconvenience to regular commuters.