Journalism of Courage
The name of B S Yediyurappa continued to make rounds in poll-bound Karnataka, despite the state BJP leadership having decided to downgrade his role and involvement in the forthcoming state polls. On Thursday, JD(S) leader H D Kumaraswamy claimed he had saved the political career of the BJP’s veteran Lingayat leader, and blamed those from ‘Peshwa lineage’ in the BJP for orchestrating Yediyurappa’s removal as Chief Minister multiple times.
Recalling the origins of the JD(S)-BJP coalition government formed in 2006, Kumaraswamy told reporters that though he had handed over power to Yediyurappa after 20 months, “Those from Peshwa lineage (and) DNA ensured that the government fell.”
The JD(S) leader claimed that even before Yediyurappa was sworn in as CM, “BJP leaders in Delhi — those I referred to as ones with Peshwa lineage, i.e., belonging to that community — prevented him from becoming the CM”. He went on to ask, “When Yediyurappa became CM for the second time, did they treat him honorably?” He was addressing a news conference at Kumta in Uttara Kannada district.
Kumaraswamy had earlier used the term ‘Peshwa lineage’ to describe Union Minister for Parliamentary Affairs, Coal and Mines, Pralhad Joshi, after the latter had attacked the family politics pursued by JD(S) supremo H D Deve Gowda’s family. While Brahmins from Karnataka were well-cultured, those with the Maratha Peshwa heritage were behind the murders of Mahatma Gandhi and had attacked the Sringeri Mutt, the JD(S) leader had then said, attracting vociferous attacks on him by BJP leaders.
“If I had not joined hands with Yediyurappa, his political career would have ended,” he said, claiming that it was the BJP leader who had approached him in 2005. “He had then shared with me the insults he had suffered in the BJP, and said he couldn’t continue in the party anymore. He wanted to resign (from the BJP) and asked if JD(S) could make him a minister,” Kumaraswamy said, adding that it was he who had then advised the BJP leader against resigning, and instead, to leverage his position as the tallest leader of the state BJP unit.
These remarks came amid allegations by BJP leaders that the JD(S) leader was being “compassionate” towards Yediyurappa for political gains. On Wednesday, Yediyurappa’s second son and BJP vice-president B Y Vijayendra lashed out at Opposition parties for trying to stir conflict in the BJP ranks by using Yediyurappa’s name.
