By IANS,
Bangalore : The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Karnataka Monday slammed Governor H.R. Bhardwaj for reportedly seeking the government’s dismissal and threatened a demonstration in front of the Raj Bhavan here.
“Ministers, legislators and party leaders will hold a ‘satyagraha’ (protest) at Raj Bhavan and fly to New Delhi in the evening to meet President Pratibha Patil,” Labour Minister B.N. Bachche Gowda told reporters here.
The protest at Raj Bhavan will be held after the legislators meeting. Arrangements have been made to fly thereafter to New Delhi at 4 p.m., Gowda said.
Former BJP president and Rajya Sabha member from Karnataka M. Venkaiah Naidu arrived here Monday morning to attend the party legislators meeting to decide steps to save the government.
“It is a murder of democracy,” Naidu told reporters as he went for a meeting with Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa and other BJP ministers and leaders.
“The governor wants to rule the state by the backdoor,” he said.
Bhardwaj late Sunday sent “a special report” to Patil on the developments in Karnataka following the apex court verdict restoring the membership of 16 rebel legislators – 11 of the BJP and five independents.
The report was sent after 10 of the 11 BJP legislators expressed ‘unconditional support’ to Yeddyurappa.
Though Bhardwaj has not made public his report, Yeddyurappa — apprehending dismissal of his government — wrote late Sunday to Patil urging her to “reject the unconstitutional move” of Bhardwaj.
Copies of the letter have been sent to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and union Home Minister P. Chidambaram.