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ShareBangalore: As the three dissident ministers continued their defiant stance against him, Karnataka chief minister BS Yeddyurappa today talked tough, hinting at a "stern action" against them.
"These people cannot cow me down. They are worried about my popularity graph", Yeddyurappa told reporters here, as he hit back at the three ministers who had made a strong attack on him at a function in their home district of Bellary yesterday.
Yeddyurappa said that he has asked the party central leadership to take action against brothers tourism minister G Janardhana Reddy and revenue minister G Karunakara Reddy and health minister B Sreeramulu.
"The three ministers have criticised me at a function they held in Siruguppa taluk where they launched their own housing programme for flood-affected victims. I am not scared of these things," Yeddyurappa said.
Saying there are "some elements" who are obstructing the pace of relief work in flood-affected areas, he asserted "I will take stern action to rein them in and ensure that relief measures are not hindered", apparently targetting the three ministers.
Yeddyurappa's tough posture against the dissident ministers who have been critical of his style of functioning comes even as party senior leader Arun Jaitley is here since yesterday on a trouble-shooting mission.
He briefed RSS leaders on the happenings at a meeting held at his private residence this morning. Meanwhile, several ministers and MLAs thronged Yeddyurappa's official residence and expressed support to him.
Yeddyurappa had planned to convene a meeting of ministers and MLAs loyal to him to demonstrate his strength this morning, but called it off on Jaitley's advise, party sources said.
"Our entire focus now will be on providing relief in flood hit areas. We will continue it. People are watching the activities of these people" (dissident ministers)", he said. 'Cauvery', official residence of Assembly Speaker Jagadish Shettar, whom the rebels have been projecting as the chief ministerial candidate to replace Yeddyurappa, was also scene of political activity, with some MLAs calling on him.
State unit BJP president Sadananda Gowda met Jaitley and briefed him about his discussions with RSS leaders. Gowda later told reporters that he would write to all three ministers to expedite relief work in the districts allotted to them.
In an action that angered the three ministers, Yeddyurappa yesterday cracked the whip by abruptly transferring five officials, including deputy commissioner and superintendent of Police of Bellary district, seen as a strike at Reddy brothers.
Yeddyurappa also shunted out health department principal secretary IR Perumal, apparently targeting Sreeramulu, a close aide of the influential mine-owning Reddy brothers.
