The Janata Dal (Secular) (JD(S)) on Wednesday announced its withdrawal from the proposed foot march against alleged irregularities in the distribution of sites by the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) including a site allocated to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah's wife Parvathi. JD(S) leader and Union Minister H D Kumaraswamy sharply criticised the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for its handling of the situation.
The Union Minister expressed frustration that his party was not consulted about the foot march which was intended to protest the alleged fraudulent allotment of sites to land losers by MUDA. He said, "When they(BJP) are not ready to take us into confidence, then why should we give support to them(BJP)?...They (BJP) must tell us how they treated us regarding the padyatra. What are they trying to achieve? I'm hurt, it pains me. Who is Preetham J. Gowda? He's the one who tried to destroy the HD Devegowda family. They (BJP) bring him on stage and make him sit with me. Who is responsible for the distribution of those pen drives (in Prajwal Revanna case)? Don't they (BJP) know what all happened in Hassan?"
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Earlier, the BJP had planned the foot march from Bengaluru to Mysuru from August 3 to 10, demanding the Chief Minister's resignation over the issue.
Kumaraswamy made it clear that JD(S) would not extend "moral support" to the BJP's protest, according to a report on PTI. "We will not give (moral support) for any reason," he told reporters in Delhi.
He emphasised that the areas through which the foot march was slated to pass are JD(S) strongholds, yet the BJP did not take JD(S) into confidence.
JD(S), headed by former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda, joined the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) last year. The two parties had also collaborated during the recent Lok Sabha elections in the state.