'Cong adept at toppling game; try in K'taka'

Chennai, Sept 16: Janata Dal (Secular) party President H D Deve Gowda today asserted that the coalition government with the BJP in Karnataka, headed by his son H D Kumaraswamy, will continue as long as the focus remains on the ''Karnataka development programme''.

The former Prime Minister, who addressed a press conference here after the executive meeting of the party's Tamil Nadu unit, hit out at the Congress for demanding the dismissal of the government and sarcastically said ''yes, they (Congress) have created history in this respect.'' He said as along as the government adheres to development programmes, neither the coalition government nor the JD(S) party can be destabilised.

''They are adept at it'' , he said , adding, ''let them try. If they can, like in Jharkhand.

When asked if he thought that the Congress would succeed in toppling the government in Karnataka, he retorted, ''you ask them.'' Mr Gowda also strongly criticised the corruption charges against his son, Chief Minister Kumaraswamy and his own family by the Congress and said he would not be cowed down.

Referring to Congress President Ms Sonia Gandhi's statement that the present government in Karnataka was opportunistic and corrupt, Mr Deve Gowda said ''the Congress cannot tolerate anybody else ruling, as though only they are born to rule and patriotism is their monopoly.'' ''The question of compromising on our economic policies does not arise'', Mr Deve Gowda said when asked if he had not gone back on his party's resolve that it would keep the Congress and BJP at a distance.

''This is only a temporary arrangement by JD(S) against the Congress party's attempts to ''liquidate our MLAs'', he alleged.

Meanwhile, Mr Deve Gowda announced that the Tamil Nadu unit of the party would continue its alliance with the AIADMK in Tamil Nadu.

''I have asked the party unit led by Mr Ismail to take part in joint programmes'', he said, adding he had also asked the party to put up candidates in the coming local body polls wherever it has a base.

UNI

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