Yeddyurappa denies speaking against Sushma

Karnataka chief minister BS Yeddyurappa on his first visit to Delhi since he won a reprieve last week denied that “not even in his dreams” he could think of bad mouthing leader of opposition Sushma Swaraj, the alleged mentor of his rivals, the Reddy brothers.

Karnataka chief minister BS Yeddyurappa on his first visit to Delhi since he won a reprieve last week denied that “not even in his dreams” he could think of bad mouthing leader of opposition Sushma Swaraj, the alleged mentor of his rivals, the Reddy brothers.

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BSY’s denial preceded a meeting with Swaraj in Parliament where she apparently questioned him for a Bangalore newspaper report on November 24 that said he had flayed her role in the internal BJP campaign against him following the land scam.

“I am rudely shocked and deeply hurt to read the contents of the news.... I totally deny and disassociate myself from the references made to leader of opposition in Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj and my all India leaders," he said, referring to the report that appeared on November 24.

He had taken a "serious note" of the report and expressed "deepest regrets" and promised to hold an inquiry "as to the origin of such news and find out the person behind creating such news."

BJP circles were abuzz with the talk that Swaraj strongly conveyed her unhappiness to Yeddyurappa for the report, which said BSY complained against her to BJP chief Nitin Gadkari and Arun Jaitley last week. A livid Swaraj allegedly quizzed him as to why he made a remark that she and other leaders should also be subjected to the "rigorous test of honesty" as was being done in his case.

Swaraj wanted legal action to be initiated against the newspaper. She however, described her meeting with BSY as “routine” as he could not meet her due to the crisis confronting him. BSY was accompanied by eight BJP MPs from Karnataka, who are his loyalists.

A day earlier, BJP MPs Sadanand Gowda and DB Chandregowda, had met Swaraj to “assuage” in this regard. Finally, finding her “unsatisfied” with the explanation of the party MPs close to him, BSY decided to come himself to discuss the issue.