Deve Gowda has not phoned assuring support,says Yediyurappa

Amid some reports that JD(S) patriarch H D Deve Gowda had rung him up recently assuring support, Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa on Wednesday clarified that he has not had any phone conversation with the former Prime Minister.

"There is no truth in this. Deve Gowda as a former Prime Minister has the capacity to decide what is right and what is wrong.

I have never mentioned his name anywhere, will never do it," Yediyurappa told reporters here.

As reports surfaced in a section of the media about the phone conversation, Gowda had last evening issued a statement rejecting it and termed it as "far from truth".

However, in what is being perceived as JD(S) softening of stand on the BJP, Gowda not wanting mid-term polls in Karnataka, on Tuesday had said he wants the Yediyurappa-led government to complete its term as it would give him time to build his party.

Gowda's son and former Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy too had recently said his party would not try to dislodge the ruling BJP government like the Amit Shah-led party had done to his coalition government and had opined that he did not think that mid-term polls would be held.

On Gowda threatening a protest in front of his residence against the "high-handedness" of the BJP government, referring to a recent incident of police action against JD(S) workers who were protesting against the chief minister during his visit to Yadgir, Yediyurappa said action has been taken against the officer concerned, and he will convince the former prime minister on the issue.

"Already the police officer there has been transferred and has been asked to go on leave. I will convince Deve Gowda. As a former Prime Minister whatever he says, I will take action accordingly," he said.

Gowda on Tuesday had tweeted announcing that he will go on a protest in front of the Chief Minister's residence on November 15, against the "atrocities" on JD(S) workers in Yadgir.