BJP to launch agitation against Governors' rule in K'taka

Bangalore, Mar 3(UNI) Charging that Congress party in Karnataka was ruling the state covertly, former Chief Minister and senior BJP leader B S Yeddyurappa today said that his party would launch a state-wide agitation against the 'proxy rule'.

He said office bearers meeting of the party would be convened in a couple of days to chalk out details of the agitation. His party had full respect towards Governor Rameshwar Thakur considering his vast administrative experience. "However, we cannot tolerate Congress doing the back seat driving," he added.

Addressing newspersons here he alleged that the pro-people programmes announced by the previous JD(S)-BJP coalition government were not being implemented now. "This is being done following instructions from the Congress to the Governor," he charged.

Naming several programmes initiated by the previous government in which he was the Deputy Chief Minister, he said Sandhya Suraksha and another programme to remove regional imbalance had been ignored by the present rule.

"The plan size of the state for 2007-08 was fixed at Rs 17799.75 crore. However till December only Rs 9232.40 crore had been spent," he said.

Under the Central plans the previous government had earmarked Rs 2276 crore, however so far only Rs 1218 crore had been spent. No effort was made to start the proposed Horticulture university at Bagalkot and Music University in Mysore, he alleged.

UNI MV RS RKN1406