BJP reviews performance of its ministers; issues warning

Bangalore, Aug 6 (UNI) Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader M Venkaiah Naidu today warned that disciplinary action would be initiated against party legislators and Ministers, if they went public on issues relating to the party and the government without discussing it in the party fora.

Talking to newspersons here, he said, ''the party will not tolerate any indicipline by its workers, be it legislators, ministers or MPs. Whatever be the issue, it should be discussed in the party forum first. Going public without bringing the issue to the knowlegde of the party will attract disciplinary action, including dismissal,'' he warned.

Mr Naidu was here to take part in the on-going two-day review meeting organised to assess the performance of BJP ministers in JD (S)-led coalition government in the state.

Expressing satisfaction over the functioning of the BJP Ministers, Mr Naidu said the performance of all the 16 ministers of the party had been up to the mark. Each Minister had answered 25 questions and also submitted a report on their performance.

Justifying the party state unit suspending party leader B Janardhana Reddy, MLC, whose bribery charge against Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy had snowballed into a major controversy, Mr Naidu said ''If Mr Reddy has any evidence against the Chief Minister let him produce it before the party and if we are convinced about the allegations, we will not remain mute spectators.'' On party leader Sushma Swaraj's recent statement that she would intervene and sort out the issue, Mr Naidu said, ''I only read her statement in newspapers. I will discuss it with her when I meet her in New Delhi tomorrow.'' Asked about former Prime Minister and JD (S) President H D Deve Gowda's allegation that some BJP members were also behind the move to destabilise the coalition government in the state, Mr Naidu said that ''We respond only to Mr Kumaraswamy and not to Mr Gowda. BJP wants the coalition government to continue.'' UNI MSP RG YA HT1857