Guv action, Cong attempt to divert attention from scam: BJP

Bangalore, Jan 25 (PTI) BJP today alleged that the KarnatakaGovernor had sanctioned prosecution of Chief Minister B SYeddyurappa at the instance of Congress to divert people''sattention from 2G, CWG and other scams, and warned that theparty would not take things "lying down".

Addressing state BJP legislature party meeting here, seniorleader M Venkaiah Naidu said it was clear from the manner inwhich Union Ministers P Chidambaram and M Veerappa Moilysupported Governor H R Bhardwaj, that "the real villain of theentire episode is the Congress high command in Delhi."

"They (UPA) want to divert the attention of the people frommassive, neck-deep corruption in which the central governmentis involved...lakhs of crores of public money have beenlooted...," he said.

Naidu said the UPA does not have an answer and guts to takeaction.

He also alleged that Congress and UPA want to "embarrass"the BJP because it is in the "forefront of a larger agitationagainst them on the issue of corruption.

The Governor''s action was also to destabilise the first BJPgovernment in the south, he alleged, charging Bhardwaj withcolluding with the Congress and JD-S "which are trying to cometo power through back-door by misusing Governor''s office."

Coming down heavily on the Governor for sanctioning theprosecution of Yeddyurappa on a petition by two lawyers, Naidusaid if action was taken as a "principle or system orprecedent", no government in the country can survive.

"No state government can function (if such a thing were tohappen in any state). There will be chaos. It will be amockery of elections," Naidu stressed.

"What H R Bharwaj has done is a fraud on the Constitution ofIndia. It''s a murder of democracy. He is making a mockery ofthe entire system," he charged.

He said it was Bhardwaj, who as the then Union Law Minister,had allowed Italian businessman and the key accused in Boforsscam, Ottavio Quattrochhi, to leave the country and alsowithdraw money from his account.

"When the Governor sanctioned prosecution of Yeddyurappa,why the other three former Chief Ministers S M Krishna, NDharam Singh and H D Kumarswamy, whom the BJP has accused ofsimilar land denotifications, were being spared?" he asked.

He alleged that during the JD-S regime, Kumaraswamy made"exemptions" (in land allotment) and denotification (of land).

"Relatives have been favoured. Not only by Kumaraswamy, S MKrishna did the same thing," he said.

Naidu asked if Chidambaram and Moily, who are giving"pravachans (sermons)", are ready to take action against thesethree former Chief Ministers. "Why this double standard (inthe case of Yeddyurappa)?" he asked.