Yeddyurappa meets Jaitley over governor’s remarks

NEW DELHI - Karnataka Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa met senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Arun Jaitley here to discuss possible changes in his cabinet and the remarks of Governor H.R. Bhardwaj regarding sanction to prosecute him over alleged land scams.

Party sources said that a final decision on changes in the cabinet will be taken after discussions with party president Nitin Gadkari.

The sources said that Yeddyurappa has called a cabinet meeting in Bangalore Wednesday.

They added that BJP MPs from the state are likely to meet President Pratibha Patil Jan 24 to demand recall of Governor Bhardwaj.

Asked about the allegations against Yeddyruppa, BJP spokesperson Ravi Shankar Prasad said here that land allotted to his sons had been returned and a minister facing corruption charges had been asked to step down.

He said S.M. Krishna, as chief minister, had sanctioned more land use change than Yeddyurappa.

Karnataka Governor Bhardwaj earlier Tuesday said he will decide without delay on the “ticklish issue” of the plea for sanction to prosecute the chief minister over land scams.

“It is a ticklish issue,” he told reporters in Bangalore when asked about the plea of two Bangalore advocates for sanction to prosecute Yeddyurappa for favouring his close kin with prime land in and around Bangalore.

Advocates Sirajin Bhasha and K.N.Balakrishna submitted documents running into 1,700 pages to Bhardwaj on Dec 28 and claimed the papers establish over 100 cases of nepotism, misconduct and corruption by Yeddyurappa, his two sons and some cabinet colleagues.

Bhardwaj said he has not only to study the documents but also consider various other issues like “whether I am legally competent to deal with it”.

“There are so many documents. All will have to be studied and decision will be taken without delay,” he said.