Gadkari defends Yeddyurappa

Mumbai, Feb 24 (PTI) Defending Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yeddyurappa over land scam allegations, BJP president NitinGadkari today said there was no "direct evidence" against him.

"There is no direct evidence against Yeddyurappa withregard to the alleged scam and no remarks against him weremade by Lokayukta or Comptroller and Auditor General in theissue," Gadkari told reporters here.

There was much more land allotment during the tenures ofearlier Chief Ministers such as S M Krishna, H D Kumaraswamyand N Dharam Singh, Gadkari said.

To a query whether BJP would ask Yeddyurappa to resign,Gadkari said "why should he resign when there is no evidenceagainst him?"

The BJP chief also backed Mumbai BJP president RajPurohit against whom the Bombay High Court has ordered filingof FIR in Pune land scam case.

"We do respect the court but Purohit has been falselyimplicated in the matter. The papers submitted by the stategovernment in the court are suspicious," Gadkari said.

He said Purohit would not be asked to resign as Mumbaiparty unit chief, Gadkari said adding an appeal will be filedin this case. PTI SSG KRK