Debate on choice of ministers in media unnecessary: Gadkari

New Delhi, May 29: With her remarks on Arun Jaitley regarding Reddy brothers threatening to snowball into a major row, BJP President Nitin Gadkari today stepped in to virtually snub Sushma Swaraj saying any debate on the choice of ministers in Karnataka in the media is "totally unnecessary".

Gadkari came out with a statement on Saturday, May 28 evening after former party president Rajnath Singh and Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa claimed responsibility for inducting the controversial Reddy brothers, mining magnates, into the state cabinet, from which Swaraj had distanced herself.

Swaraj, widely perceived to be close to the Reddy brothers, had in an interview on Friday, May 27 said it was Jaitley, Yeddyurappa, M Venkaiah Naidu and Ananth Kumar who had decided to induct Janardhan and Karunakar Reddy into the cabinet.

The remarks, which brought to fore the differences in second generation leadership in the party, forced Rajnath Singh and Yeddyurappa to claim responsibility for the induction of the Reddy brothers.

While Swaraj and Jaitley kept mum on the issue, Gadkari came out with a sharp statement which said there is "absolutely no question of any individual or individuals influencing this process in any particular manner".

"Any debate about the choice of ministers in the Karnataka government at this stage in the media is totally unnecessary," Gadkari said.

PTI