BJP not trying to dislodge JD(S)-Cong govt: Yeddyurappa
Bengaluru, Dec 31: Karnataka BJP chief B S Yeddyurappa Monday said the party was not attempting to "dislodge" the JD(S)-Congress coalition government in the state and was not in touch with leaders of the two parties.
Dismissing an allegation by former chief minister and JDS-Congress coordination committee chief Siddaramaiah, he said there was no need for the BJP to pull down the government as the coalition partners were themselves "restive".
Yeddyurappa's assertion comes in response to a charge made on Sunday by Siddaramaiah that the saffron party was engaged in "horse trading" of Congress MLAs by offering Rs 25 crore to Rs 30 crore as part of its "toppling game".
"Siddaramaiah has been repeatedly giving irresponsible statements. We have been saying time and again that we do not need to topple the government. Such allegations do not suit his stature. Let him furnish evidences to support his claim," he told reporters.
The BJP leader said, "The present government is chaotic as both the parties as well as the ministers are not content. BJP is not making any attempt to destabilise the government".
The Leader of Opposition in the assembly said former prime minister and JD(S) supremo H D Devegowda had put forth a demand before the Congress to allot 14 seats to it in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, which he claimed had become a bone of contention between the two parties.
To a query whether there was any likelihood of a major change in the government without the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) involvement, Yeddyurappa said it was hard to make any prediction in politics but added that before the next assembly session, there would be a major change.
However, he rejected that he or any of his party workers were in touch with anybody from the Congress and JD(S), including the disgruntled Congress MLA Ramesh Jarkiholi, who was dropped in the recent ministry expansion and reshuffle.
Jarkiholi, who had earlier claimed the support of a sizeable number of MLAs, has remained incommunicado since he was dropped from the ministry amid reports that he was in touch with BJP leaders.
When asked whether the BJP would form the next government soon, Yeddyurappa said his party members were not "sanyasis to sacrifice everything and they do have ambition to form the government".
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Lebanon appoints new representative for talks with Israel, rejects linkage to Iran
Beirut: Lebanon’s has moved to underline its independent position in ongoing regional developments, amid attempts to link the country to the broader conflict involving Iran, the United States and Israel.
President Joseph Aoun, while announcing the appointment of former US ambassador Simon Karam as Lebanon’s representative in talks with Israel, made it clear that Karam would be the sole representative for Lebanon and that there would be no substitute.
The move comes in response to what the Lebanese officials see as efforts by Iran to tie Lebanon’s situation to the wider regional conflict. Iran had indicated that there would be no ceasefire involving the US, Israel and Iran unless it also included a ceasefire in Lebanon.
Some groups, including Hezbollah and its supporters, had expressed support for linking the situations, citing concerns that the Lebanese government has limited leverage in negotiations with Israel. Lebanon is not formally a party to the conflict, and its army is considered weak.
However, others, including Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, have opposed this approach. They view Iran’s stance as an attempt to influence Lebanon’s internal affairs and see it as undermining the country’s sovereignty.
Officials backing the government’s position say the move is aimed at reaffirming Lebanon’s sovereignty and ensuring that decisions about peace and ceasefire within the country are not dictated externally.
They also see it as a safeguard, so that any breakdown in talks between the US, Israel and Iran does not automatically lead to renewed conflict in Lebanon.
