Raipur, Oct 23: Contrary to speculation that he was canceling his yatra to Bangalore in the wake of the arrest of B S Yeddyurappa, BJP leader L K Advani today said his visit to the city is on schedule.
“I have no information about my yatra in Bangalore getting canceled,” Advani said when asked if his plans in Karnataka had changed following the arrest of former BJP Chief Minister Yedduyurappa.
“I will go to Karnataka and also go to Bangalore,” Advani said.
To another question on Yedduurappa, Advani said that he did not want to make further comments on Yedduyurapa except what he had said earlier in Nagpur.
Party sources had yesterday said the October 30 public rally of L K Advani in Bangalore as part of his yatra against corruption has been canceled.
However, the sources had said that Advani would visit coastal parts of the state like Mangalore, Udupi and Honnavara on October 31.
The sources had said that BJP decided against holding public meeting in Bangalore apparently in the light of recent developments that have embarrassed the party with former chief minister Yeddyurappa and another former minister S N Krishnaiah Setty sent to jail in cases relating to alleged land scams.
A Lokayukta Court on Thursday directed the Lokayukta police to investigate a private complaint filed against Home Minister R Ashoka, regarding alleged denotification of land in violation of rules.
To a question related to formation of new states, Advani said the BJP was in favour of the formation of Telangana even at the time it was in power.
“If our coalition partner at that time had been in favour of Telangana, the state would have been formed at that time itself,” Advani said referring to TDP which was BJP's ally in the NDA government and added, “three states had been created, a fourth one would have been created as well”.
Advani stressed that if the government took a decision on the formation of Telangana, his party would extend support.
He also said that his party was not in favour of the Communal Violence Bill and noted that in the Chief Ministers' meet even Congress chief ministers had not backed that bill.
Attacking the Central government's policy towards Naxalism, he said, “in the past two days there have been some sad happenings. Two days ago six policemen were killed in a Naxal attack. The Central government's policy towards Naxalism has been slip shod and uncertain”.
“This fact has not been recognised that Naxalites are not there just because of backwardness or poverty. The Naxals are against democracy and constitution and aspire to capture power. Those who die fighting Naxals actually die protecting democracy and constitution. Uncertain policy towards Naxals can be dangerous. Naxalism started in West Bengal and only ended because of firm policy”.
Advani also attacked Home Minister Chidambaram stating that “his role should also be investigated under the supervision of the Supreme Court in the 2G Spectrum case”.
“The Central government because of various scandals is in a condition of paralysis,” he said.
In Bangalore, Karnataka BJP unit President K S Eshwarappa said Advani would hold the rally as scheduled at the National College grounds there on October 30.
“Even I was confused about the cancellation of Advani's rally after reading about it in the media. I spoke to Advaniji last night and confirmed (with him) he is holding the rally in the city,” Eshwarappa told PTI.
The yatra would enter Karnataka through Kasargod in Kerala on October 30.
Talking to reporters, Advani said Chhattisgarh's BJP Government is taking effective steps to tackle Maoist insurgency in the state.
The former Deputy Prime Minister maintained that right to recall elected representatives is not a practical provision in a vast country like India.
Social activist Anna Hazare and his team had been calling for right to recall and right to reject provisions as part of electoral reforms.
