Yeddyurappa in confessional mode, promises no more mistakes

MYSORE - A contrite Karnataka Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa Thursday acknowledged he had made mistakes and said he would not repeat them.

\”I have committed several mistakes. I will not commit any more mistakes,\” he told reporters here after attending a \’yagna\’, a Hindu ritual offering oblations to fire god \’Agni\’.

Yeddyurappa said: \”From now on I will take everyone, including those criticizing me, along and work for the development of the state.\”

The chief minister, a frequent visitor to temples and religious institutions, said participating in the \’yagna\’ had given him peace of

mind from the problems he had been facing recently.

Yeddyurappa has been fighting favouritism charges over land allotment to his kin. Five complaints have been filed against him in a Bangalore court Saturday and Monday after Governor H. R. Bhardwaj granted sanction to two advocates to launch criminal proceedings against the chief minister.

He declined to respond to the opposition\’s attack on him over the charges and his refusal to quit even after the governor had sanctioned

his prosecution.

\”I will not comment or react to criticism against me,\” he said.

Yeddyurappa was also in confessional mode in October-November 2009 when mining magnates and ministers the Reddy brothers had revolted against him. He was forced to drop his confidante Shobha Karnadlaje from the ministry and shunt out trusted officials from his secretariat.

At that time Yeddyurappa, usually stern-faced, had shed tears in public over his helplessness and had sought people\’s forgiveness for dropping Karnadlaje and transferring trusted officials.

Karnadlaje has since returned to his cabinet and is power minister.