Yeddy Apologies to Flood-hit People; Reddys in Delhi with Demand List

With many BJP MLAs busy with dissident activities in flood-hit areas in North Karnataka, chief minister BS Yeddyurappa has apologized to the people and vowed to work with them. In the meantime, Reddy brothers are in Delhi with a list of demands that look more like a ‘black mail’ list.

“In the backdrop of the happenings, as chief minister, I apologise to the people of the state. We will take care to see such incidents don’t take place in future and will work unitedly for the people’s welfare,” Yeddyurappa said.

His apology came following reports that many legislatures and ministers loyal to rebel ministers from Bellary district – G Karunakara Reddy, G Janardhana Reddy and B Sreeramulu – seeking Yeddyurappa’s ouster, camped in Hyderabad and Goa, when they should have been attending to grievances of people, suffering after the recent unprecedented floods.

Chief Minister, later speaking in Bellary, also refuted reports on the alleged role of senior BJP leader HN Ananth Kumar in ‘hatching conspiracy’ with the Reddy brothers.

“Ananth Kumar’s name is unnecessarily being dragged to link him to the Reddy brothers,” Yeddyurappa said.

“Unnecessarily, some people are trying drag his name to create confusion,” he said, adding the Lok Sabha member from Bangalore South is trying his best to find a solution to the issue.

“There is no such atmosphere. We are united, we are together,” Yeddyurappa claimed.

At the same time, he tried to downplay the dissident activities being spearheaded by the Reddy brothers.

“These incidents (dissident activities) have happened at a bad time. Janardhana Reddy, Karunakara Reddy, Sreeramulu and Ananth Kumar….we are all one. Small incidents….we should forget. Unitedly, we should pay attention to the state’s development…we have to go to flood-hit areas,” he said.

In the meanwhile, Reddy brothers reached in Delhi to meet central leadership. They maintained, despite party’s earlier statement, that there was an urgent need to change leadership in the government.

According to reports, Reddy brothers have a list of demands with them, that look list a blackmail list. These demands include:

a)    The state home minister should be someone of the choice of the Reddy brothers.
b)    There must be a complete revamp of the administration in Bellary, which is the Reddy stronghold.
c)    All cases against the Reddy brothers and their supporters in connection with a kidnapping incident in a local contract case must be withdrawn.
d)    The government must speedily process permissions for all projects in which the Reddy brothers have interests.
e)    The government must also give a percentage of advertising revenue to Sakshi Group, a media outfit controlled by YSR Reddy’s son Jagan Reddy, a business partner of the Bellary brothers.