Kumaraswamy accepts challenge

JD(S) leader H D Kumaraswamy on Saturday said he had accepted B S Yeddyurappa’s challenge to testify before the Dharmasthala presiding deity, Lord Manjunatheshwara, on the chief minister’s “attempts to buy peace” with him.

“I have accepted his challenge. I am ready to be present at Dharmasthala tomorrow between 11.30 am to 12 noon to swear before god that Yeddyurappa tried to influence me through his aide,” Kumaraswamy said.

Irked by an advertisement published in major dailies on Saturday, allegedly by Yeddyurappa, attacking him and his family on various issues, Kumaraswamy said, “The advertisement speaks for itself of the misuse of public money by Yeddyurappa”. He added, “Yeddyurappa is a coward CM. It is he who is engaged in hit and run politics and not me. I have been releasing documents after documents on the corruption involving Yeddyurappa and his family. He has failed to respond.”

 

He alleged pressure was being exerted on him by Yeddyurappa for the last six months to “buy peace” and to stop him from further “exposing any corrupt deeds”.

“The chief minister’s close aide Lehar Singh has spoken to me. I have call records,” he claimed.

After Kumaraswamy had alleged two days ago that the CM had made efforts to meet him, the latter, undergoing treatment in an ayurveda clinic in Kerala, rebutted the charges and lambasted the JD(S) leader for “misleading people”.

Kumaraswamy said there was no change in his plan to release another “set of documents” over “certain irregularities indulged in by Yeddyurappa” in Delhi on June 22. “Yeddyurappa has the habit of taking vows before god and seers only to renege on them later,” the JD(S) leader claimed. “He took an oath in the name of god that he would not seek a ticket for his son to contest the Shimoga lok sabha seat, but managed to get it. Yeddyurappa went before Nanujundeshwara temple (Mysore), repented for his misdeeds, vowed not to repeat them , but continued later.”

Kumaraswamy had alleged that Yeddyurappa had planned to meet him at an ayurvedic spa in Kottaikkal, where he had registered for body rejuvenation treatment from June 12, to seek a rapprochement with him.”However, on learning about Yeddyurappa’s plans I called off the visit,” said he.

Meanwhile, opposition Congress on Saturday slammed Yeddyurappa for spending tax payers money to settle his personal dispute with a former chief minister and described it as a 'childish act".