Yediyurappa offers to apologise to Dalits

In an attempt to control the spate of protests from Dalit organisations over a reported attempt to remove the portrait of Dr B R Ambedkar from the deputy chief minister’s office in the state secretariat, the new incumbent B S Yediyurappa today offered to tender an unconditional apology.

Expressing regret over the ‘‘misunderstanding’’ that has risen over the allegation, which he termed as ‘‘far from the truth’’, Yediyurappa told reporters here he had been fighting for the Dalit cause throughout his 30-year-political career.

‘‘I swear by God that such an attempt has not been made,’’ he said. ‘‘I am prepared to tender an unconditional apology.’’

Yediyurappa, who had threatened to take the matter to court and to complain to the Press Council of India against the Kannada daily which published the report, also made an apparent climb-down from his belligerent stand, remarking, ‘‘I don’t want to stretch it further and I don’t find fault with the newspaper.’’ —PTI