Mr Kumaraswamy defends arrest of BJP State President

Navalli, Karnataka, Oct 11 (UNI) Karnataka Chief Minister H D Kumarswamy today defended arrests of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders, including State unit President Sadanand Gowda, MP and legislator C T Ravi, yesterday in Chikamagalur and declared that it would not have any impact on the functioning of the coalition government in the State.

Talking to newsmen here, he said that even in the Coordination Committee Meeting held recently on the issue it was decided to maintain law and order in the Coffee district and the District Administration has been given full power to maintain law and order and they have acted accordingly.

''Datta Maala Abhiyaan and Shobha Yatra were programmes of BJP and the organisations supporting it. It was not the programmes of coalition government,'' he said adding ''they have acted as per the policy and principles of their party and there is no need to react.'' ''The arrest was not meant to suppress BJP in the State,'' he clarified.

Replying to a question, Mr Kumarswamy said that Home Minister M P Prakash and senior officials have already discussed with the Governor on the law and order situation in Mangalore. ''The government would soon submit a report on the situation to the Governor.'' He said he would be visiting trouble torn Mangalore today evening and hold discussion with all the concerned.

On the demand for CBI inquiry by the Opposition Party, Mr Kumarswamy shot back ''how many times communal violence took place in the state and how many times it has sought for CBI inquiry in the state during its rule.'' UNI MNP MSP VA BD1303