Not the right time for power transfer: Deve Gowda

Bangalore, Sep 27: In a sudden development, Janata Dal (Secular) Supremo H D Devegowda today said the situation was not congenial to effect transfer of power to coalition partner Bharatiya Janata Party, in view of a complaint filed in Bellary against Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy by Tourism Minister B Sriramulu of BJP yesterday.

Speaking to newsmen here, Mr Gowda said he had returned from Delhi without participating in the talks with BJP President Rajnath Singh scheduled for this afternoon.

JD(S) completes 20 months in office on October two and was supposed to allow BJP to run the government for the remaining 20 months as per agreement reached between Mr Kumaraswamy and BJP leader and Deputy Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa in 2005.

Displaying a copy of a fax message sent by BJP MP Karunakara Reddy to the election commission levelling charges against the Chief Minister and a complaint filed by Mr Sriramulu, he said he had decided to return as he felt the situation was not conducive for holding talks.

Replying to a volley of questions he said the Chief Minister, with abundant patience, had suffered humiliation at the hands of the BJP in the last 20 months and there was a limit for everything.

Until the situation improved he would not discuss with BJP leaders on transfer of power. "It is for them to resolve the tangle," he added.

Asked whether power would not be transferred on October three as scheduled, Mr Devegowda said it was for the BJP leaders to settle the issue. "Some forces are behind this situation. But I will cooperate when the situation improved," was all he would say on whether he had fixed any time frame to transfer power to BJP. Replying to a question he said there were sufficient evidences to show that complaints against the Chief Minister were 'premeditated.' 'This is a last resort as we have suffered humiliation for long,' he added saying that if this was the treatment meted to the Chief Minister then what would happen to the common man once the power was transferred.

Asked whether he would join hands with the Congress again, he said he never tried to do so.

Mr Devegowda also brushed aside allegations levelled by NICE Ashok Kheni, Managing Director of NICE the promoters of Bangalore Mysore Infrastructure corridor, that his family had amassed wealth in a big way.

UNI