BJP to go on offensive against Deve Gowda's family

Two key loyalists of Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa today launched a broadside against JD(S) leader H D Kumaraswamy amid indications that the BJP is set to unleash an offensive against former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda’s family as the verbal duel between the rival camps gets nastier.

“We will not sit quiet any longer. Kumaraswamy is levelling baseless allegations day in and day out, unable to stomach the development programmes initiated by the Yeddyurappa government,” an agitated Food and Civil Supplies Minister V Somanna said.

He claimed that scams during Kumaraswamy’s tenure as Chief Minister would be exposed and charged the JD(S) leader with indulging in threats. “We are not living in a feudal system,” Somanna said. Somanna condemned the attack on the residence of B J Puttaswamy, political secretary to Chief Minister, by JD(S) workers last night, hours after he levelled land-grab allegations against the family of Deve Gowda.

The minister said during a television show last night that Kumaraswamy who joined the debate through telephone, made disparaging remarks against him and flayed the “way Kumaraswamy is conducting himself”. At a separate press conference, Puttaswamy alleged that some 50-60 activists of the JD(S), instigated by Kumaraswamy, attacked his house last night and his life was in danger.

“Nobody can threaten me. I will not yield. I am not scared of them (JD-S),” said 72-year-old Puttaswamy, who has already lodged a police complaint on the attack in which his house was targeted with flower-pots and stones, damaging car and smashing window-panes. Puttaswamy charged Kumaraswamy and his brother Revanna with abusing the Chief Minister with obscene language, while being “intolerant” towards to anybody levelling allegations against their family.

“Deve Gowda wants only his family to be in power in Karnataka. No one else should rule. Only his sons speak the truth. Others are all corrupt and engage in irregularities,” he said targeting the former Prime Minister. State unit BJP spokesman S Prakash assailed the attack and said, “It is not the birthright of the Deve Gowda family to attack opponents. This kind of hooliganism will not be allowed.”