Yeddyurappa says will not resign, Gadkari to take a call

Bangalore/New Delhi, Jul 26: Facing more heat in the illegal mining scam, a defiant Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yeddyurappa asserted he would not quit but left it to BJP chief Nitin Gadkari to take a call on his fate in the light of the Lokayukta report.

Returning to Bangalore from a Mauritius holiday, Yeddyurappa also shot off a letter to Gadkari seeking a probe by a party panel into various charges against him including land allotment in an apparent bid to clear his name.

Yeddyurappa said he would abide by "whatever decision" is taken by Gadkari, who also spoke to the chief minister.

Gadkari said the chief minister has asked him to take a final call on his fate in the wake of Lokayukta having prepared a damning indictment of him.

The BJP president insisted that a decision would be taken based on the seriousness of the charges made in the "official document". Karnataka Lokayukta Santosh Hegde said his report would be released on Wednesday.

"I have talked to the Karnataka Chief Minister. He has asked me rpt me to take a decision as party president on the issue and I will follow it. I have never taken a political decision based on perceptions. So as soon as we get a copy of the Lokayukta report, and based on the charges made in it, the party will take appropriate action," Gadkari said in Delhi.

Home Minister P Chidambaram said that if the leaked report of the Karnataka Lokayukta on illegal mining is correct then it is an indictment of Yeddyurappa.

Shortly after his arrival, Yeddyurappa, who appeared relaxed, said, "I am going to continue as Chief Minister for another two years."

He said the Government would examine the Lokayukta report in detail once it was submitted and initiate "appropriate action at an appropriate time."

PTI