Mangalore/Bangalore: Jan 26: Speaker K?G?Bopaiah, who had remained 'untraceable' for the last three days, emerged at the Mangalore airport Friday night.
Bopaiah's sudden vanishing act had created a political flutter when 13 BJP?MLAs, including two ministers, went to his office in Vidhana Soudha on Wednesday to submit their resignations.
They had even urged the Governor to summon the Speaker to accept their resignation letters.
The arrival of Speaker in a Jet Airways flight from Mumbai was kept a top secret as none in the BJP or police was aware of his arrival.
Top police officials in the district, who had come to the airport to receive ADGP?Bipin Gopalakrishna a few minutes before the arrival of the Jet Airways flight, too were unaware of Bopaiah's arrival.
One of the last passengers to arrive in the flight, Bopaiah was wearing a sweater with a shawl (typical Coorg style). Less than a minute after he came out of the airport, he left in a tourist car, bearing a Mangalore registration number, that was waiting for him. Apart from the driver, there was one more person waiting in the car for the Speaker.
Last to come
A few mediapersons who learnt of his arrival through their sources were waiting at the airport. As they could not find Bopaiah among the passengers, the mediapersons were planning to leave, when the Speaker came out of the airport terminal building.
When the reporters rushed near him, he sat in the car and left for an unknown destination. A BJP leader in Mangalore said the Speaker had gone to Kodagu.
Shashiraj Shetty, a Janata Dal (Secular)?leader who was also in the same flight, told reporters that Bopaiah appeared to be uncomfortable when he (Shetty) wished him in the flight.
No interference
Speaking to reporters in Bangalore, Governor H R Bhardwaj refused to interfere on the issue of Bopaiah.
“I cannot criticise the Speaker. I have not communicated with him also. He can go anywhere he pleases,” Bhardwaj stated.
The Governor also denied having written a letter to the Speaker's office, seeking information on Bopaiah's tour programme.
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