Karna BJP minister submits resignation

BANGALORE: In an attempt to lower the temperature, Karnataka Tourism Minister and BJP leader B Sriramulu on Saturday resigned from the JDS-BJP coalition ministry.

Sriramulu handed over his resignation letter, addressed to the Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy, to Deputy Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa.

He denied he was quitting following pressure from the party to ease the tension between the coalition partners after his action in filing a criminal complaint against Kumaraswamy threatened to cast its shadow on the October 3 power transfer.

"I am doing it on my own volition and not under any pressure", Sriramulu said.

The controversial minister's resignation came after BJP Vice President Yashwant Sinha, deputed by the party high command to defuse the crisis, held hectic consultations with state unit leaders.

Sriramulu, who rushed to the city from Bellary, drove to Yediyurappa's official residence and handed over the 'one line resignation letter'.

Even as he said he was resigning to facilitate 'smooth transfer of power to BJP', he mounted a blistering attack on Kumaraswamy, whom he accused of not acting to check atrocities committed on his family by some JDS leaders including Chief Minister's political advisor, Suryanarayana Reddy.

Sriramulu, who had submitted his resignation letters to Yediyurappa on earlier occasions charged that JDS was using his complaint as a lame excuse to stall power transfer, which he demanded should happen 'unconditionally'.