Reddy is not my Guru; Yeddy can become Karnataka BJP chief: Sriramulu

Kalaburagi, Mar 7: The former Minister and BJP MP B. Sriramulu has said that the former Minister G. Janardhan Reddy was not his political mentor or guru as was being projected. He said that Mr. Reddy was a very good friend of him.

Replying to questions at a press conference here on Sunday, Mr. Sriramulu said that he was senior to Mr. Reddy and was a four-time MLA and now, an MP.

To another question, Mr. Sriramulu said that nobody was opposed to the nomination of the former Chief Minister and MP B.S. Yeddyurappa as president of the State unit of the party. Mr. Sriramulu said that Mr. Yeddyurappa was an unquestionable leader of the party and adored by everybody.

“We will abide by the decision of the central party leadership as far as appointment of the president of the State unit of the party is concerned,” he said.

To yet another question, Mr. Sriramulu condemned the police brutalities in Bengaluru on the protesting farmers of Kolar and Chickballapur demanding permanent irrigation facilities.

He criticised Chief Minister Siddaramaiah for issuing a misleading statement that no farmer was injured in the police lathi-charge.

On the warrant issued by a court in Ballari against him in a cheque bounce case for non-appearance in court when the case came up for hearing, Mr. Sriramulu said that he could not attend the case due to his participation in the Lok Sabha proceedings and the absence was not intentional. “I would present myself before court soon,” he added.

He declined to say anything on the cheque bounce case stating that it was sub judice and expressed confidence in the judiciary stating that it would do justice to him.

Mr. Sriramulu told another questioner that the BJP Zilla Panchayat members of Ballari had been sent to resorts to avoid political poaching by the Congress before the elections to the post of panchayat president.

“Our fears about political poaching are genuine and the Congress, despite losing badly in the zilla panchayat elections, was doing everything to break the BJP in the zilla panchayat to capture power through the backdoor,” he said.