Will continue to demand Bhardwaj's removal: Yeddyurappa

New Delhi, May 23 (PTI) Notwithstanding Centre
rejecting H R Bhardwaj's recommendation on imposing
President's rule in Karnataka, Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa
on Monday said he would continue to demand the recall of the
Governor, who "acted in a partisan manner".
"I compliment the Government of India for taking the
decision not to accept the Karnataka Governor's recommendation
to keep the Assembly in suspended animation. It is a great
victory for democracy and for my government which enjoys a
clear majority," Yeddyurappa told reporters here.
After the Centre rejected his recommendation on
Sunday night, Bhardwaj gave his consent to the Cabinet's
recommendation to convene the Assembly session from June 2.
However, this did not placate Yeddyurappa and the BJP
and the party has decided not to give up its demand for the
Governor's recall.
"This was nothing but a political conspiracy of the
Congress party. This is an attack on the federal structure of
the country and recommendations of the Sarkaria Commission on
Centre-state relationships," Yeddyurappa said.
Sources close to the chief minister maintained that he
will return to the capital after a week and meet Indian Prime
Minister Manmohan Singh and Home Minister P Chidambaram to
press for Bhardwaj's removal. Singh left for a week-long visit
to Ethiopia and Tanzania this morning.
"The Centre's decision clearly exhibits that the
Governor has acted hastily and in a partisan manner. It is
high time that the Centre recall the Governor immediately,"
Yeddyurappa said. Yeddyurappa insisted that the Governor did not pay
heed to the Karnataka Cabinet resolution for convening of the
session soon after the Supreme Court quashed the Speaker's
decision disqualifying 11 rebel BJP MLAs.
Bhardwaj rejected the government's offer of a floor
test and instead sent a report to the Centre recommending
President's Rule.
"The Cabinet had passed a resolution on May 16 to
convene the session. A delegation of ministers had met the
Governor on May 16 and requested for his consent. It is now
obvious that the union government has rejected the Governor's
action," he said.
Asked about UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi's comments on
Sunday that some opposition parties were not acting against
their corrupt chief ministers, Yeddyurappa said, "The entire
country knows very well what is happening at the Centre. I
will reply to it at the appropriate time."
The Chief Minister met senior party leaders L K
Advani, Nitin Gadkari, Sushma Swaraj and Arun Jaitley here. He
thanked the NDA Chief ministers who had written letters to the
Centre against the Karnataka Governor's behaviour.
He also thanked Singh, Chidambaram and Finance
Minister Pranab Mukherjee for "this appropriate decision to
uphold the true democratic decision".
Yeddyurappa also had a message for the opposition MLAs
who have been targeting him.
"I sincerely hope the opposition will realise the
folly atleast now and extend constructive cooperation to the
government," he said.
Meanwhile, sources said the government will not go
for a floor test in the Assembly when it meets on June 2 as it
had paraded 114 party MLAs and shown letters of support of
seven more to President Pratibha Patil.
Asked if the 11 rebel MLAs who are now back in the BJP
camp will be accommodated through a cabinet expansion, sources
close to the Chief Minister said it would take place only
after the 15-day session gets over.