Deve Gowda’s diatribe insults Karnataka's culture

The abuse hurled by former prime minister HD Deve Gowda at chief minister BS Yeddyurappa has drawn angry reactions. Bangalore North Lok Sabha member and senior BJP leader DB Chandre Gowda expressed his dismay in conversation with DNA. Deve Gowda, by mouthing such abuse, has brought disgrace upon the state, the BJP leader holds.

What was your first reaction when you heard of what HD Deve Gowda had to say about the chief minister?
This is shameful. There is no parallel to a situation like this in public life. What is worse is that this man has even served as prime minister of the country. It is a pity that he should now stoop to such coarseness. That too while interacting with the media, and in full glare of  public attention. Deve Gowda has overstepped all limits of ordinary decency. And it is clear that he has done this for nothing but political gain. It is time his bluff is called, and that he is exposed. There is a limit for political drama. Gowda has sullied Karnataka’s culture. He is a disgrace.
 
What do you think caused the outburst?
As the government headed by BS Yeddyurappa marches ahead, unleashing a slew of welfare programmes for the farmers and rural masses, the Janata Dal (S) grows increasingly desperate. Yeddyurappa’s initiatives for Bangalore and other urban centres too have been well appreciated. With BBMP polls round the corner, Gowda has raked up the Bangalore-Mysore Infrastructure Corridor (BMIC) issue, to appeal to both the farmers and the city-dwellers.
 
How will you tackle this attack?
It was Deve Gowda who approved the BMIC project as the then chief minister. It was the JD(S) government headed by JH Patel which enabled the NICE company to get huge tracts of land for the project. After 13 years, he has now suddenly woken up to speak for farmers. If he was really interested in protecting the interest of farmers, he should never have signed the memorandum of understanding for the project. It is ridiculous that he should hold the BJP to blame, when it has been in power only 18 months. The people are not fools, they will see through all this. There is no need for us to tackle such an attack.

But could the BJP now undo wrongs done by previous governments?
How can we? The state government has signed an MoU one-and-a-half decades ago. The issue is now before the Supreme Court. The government is following directions of the court. Deve Gowda has no respect for democratic institutions, not even the judiciary. In the BJP, we refuse to stoop to his level. We will present the facts, and expose Gowda’s duplicity. Karnataka has no patience with such dirty politics.