JD(S) setting negative trend: Yeddyurappa

New Delhi, Jul 2 (UNI) Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa today blamed the Janata Dal (Secular) for setting a 'new trend' by refusing to be part of the all-party delegation which met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh here concerning interests and development of the state.

Accusing JD(S) president and former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda of indulging in 'cheap political gimmicks', the Chief Minister said it did not auger well for the interest of the state which always had projected a united image at the national level on issues concerning development, disputes concerning land and water. It was surprising that the Congress too had joined the JD(S) refusing to meet their own Prime Minister when the decision to take an all-party delegation was taken in Karnataka Assembly.

The Chief Minister said the one-month-old BJP government in Karnataka did not believe in confrontation and said he had failed to understand the reason for 'aversion and animosity'.

''Good things can happen only with united efforts of all parties,'' he said.

He said both JD(S) and the Congress owed an explanation to the people why they chose to stay away from the delegation.

''People can't be misled and parties play around with the sentiments of people,'' the Chief Minister said.

Mr Yeddyurappa's angry reaction comes in the wake of Congress and JD(S) choosing not to be part of today's all party delegation.

Giving out status of fertilizer stocks in Karnataka, the Chief Minister said the state was promised supply of 1.40 lakh Metric Tonnes of DAP and 1.14 lakh MT of Complex Fertilizers when he had met Prime Minister on June 11 but it was supplied 1,05 lakh MT of DAP and 61,048 MT Complex fertilizers. Over and above that, the Department of Fertilizers had halved the allocation of fertilizers for July and the shortfall would lead to scarcity and law and order problem due to farmers' unrest, he said.

The Prime Minister, he said had heard the problems of the state patiently and had instructed the officials to take corrective measures. He had also been invited to dedicate the new Bangalore International Airport which was operationalised recently.

The delegation also sought reimbursement of Rs 1,880 crore cooperative crop loans waived by the state government. The state had already released Rs 1,750 crore for the purpose. The delegation will meet Finance Minister P Chidambaram tomorrow.

The state has also sought the Petroleum Ministry to reduce the issue price for petroleum and diesel in the state and bring it on part with the issue price of neighbouring states like Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Kerala. The consumers were made to pay a higher price for the products and it was time for the Centre to review the matter immediately and direct the oil companies to reduce issue price, Mr Yeddyurappa said.

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