BJP not involved in any operation to topple Cong-JDS govt: Yeddyurappa
Bengaluru, Jan 17: BJP Karnataka chief B S Yeddyurappa Thursday said no member of his party was involved in any operation to topple the Congress-JD(S) coalition government.
With the ongoing power tussle between the ruling Congress-JD(S) coalition and BJP in Karnataka intensifying, both sides have been trading charges of trying to poach each other's MLAs.
"The BJP has nothing do with ruling coalition MLAs who are in Mumbai," the former Chief Minister said and accused the Congress and JD(S) of trying to shift the blame on his party to cover up their 'failures and inability' to keep their flock together.
"No one from the BJP has indulged in any kind of operation or luring Congress-JD(S) MLAs.
We had gathered all our MLAs atone place and were discussing about the preparations for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls for the last two-three days. Todayall are coming back," Yeddyurappa said.
Speaking to reporters here, he hit out at the Congress leaders, saying they talk about the Constitution, but everyone was aware of how they played with it since 1960.
"Why do they have to fear if we gather our MLAs, I don't understand. Internal fight within Congress and JD(S) is going out of control... to cover up their internal squabbles, they should not blame the BJP," he added.
Yeddyurappa, who was in New Delhi and Gurugram along with 104 BJP MLAs for the last few days, returned to the city to visit the ailing 111-year-old prominent seer Shivakumara Swamiji of Siddaganga mutt in Tumkur district.
Reacting to Congress-JD(S) leaders' claims that some BJP MLAs were in touch with them, Yeddyurappa said, "We are together.
You (Congress-JD(S) have said four to five MLAs are in your contact. Call them. Let me see.
If your MLAs have gone to Mumbai or Delhi, what do we have to do with it? It is -Congress-JD(S)- your duty to keep your legislators intact.
No one is in touch with us...I'm telling you,"he added.
The Leader of Opposition in the assembly also questioned as to who the leaders of Congress-JD(S) combine were to question his party about camping in Gurugram.
"Who are they to ask where we are going? You try to keep your MLAs intact, why are you blaming us? Tomorrow they (Congress) have called their legislature party meeting. how many will come it will be known, their true colours will come out tomorrow."
"Without understanding that your MLAs are dissatisfied and disgruntled, don't unnecessarily put blame on BJP," Yeddyurappa said.
Pointing out that during S M Krishna's chief ministership, Maharashtra MLAs were kept at a resort in Mysuru, and recently Gujarat MLAs were put up in a resort in Bengaluru, Yeddyurappa questioned as to "where did Congress' democracy go then?"
Hitting out at Congress leader and former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Yeddyurappa said despite being taught a lesson by the people of Chamundeshwari constituency, he had not learnt anything.
Siddaramaiah lost the Chamundeshwari assembly seat in the May polls, though he won from Badami.
Lashing out at the BJP and calling it "shameless" for allegedly luring ruling coalition MLAs, Siddaramaiah on Wednesday had said that Yeddyurappa has grown old, but has no wisdom.
Yeddyurappa also targeted former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda and called him "a political opportunist".
"...all his fights and principles are only limited to secure his and his family's political interests.People of the state are well aware of Deve Gowda's use and throw policy," he said.
Targeting Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy, Yeddyurappa said 156 taluks were in the grip of drought, but the chief minister and his ministers are not working effectively.
"What are you doing? Who is travelling- Chief Ministers and Ministers- What steps have you taken when farmers are in distress?" he questioned.
"In such a grave situation, without doing your duty, you are trying to shift the blame on BJP. You will not gain anything from it," he said.
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Hamas accepts cease-fire proposal for Gaza, but Israel's stance still uncertain
Jerusalem, May 6: Hamas announced Monday it has accepted an Egyptian-Qatari cease-fire proposal, but there was no immediate word from Israel, leaving it uncertain whether a deal had been sealed to bring a halt to the seven-month-long war in Gaza.
It was the first glimmer of hope that a deal might avert further bloodshed. Hours earlier, Israel ordered some 100,000 Palestinians to begin evacuating the southern Gaza town of Rafah, signalling that an attack was imminent. The United States and other key allies of Israel oppose an offensive on Rafah, where around 1.4 million Palestinians, more than half of Gaza's population, are sheltering.
An official familiar with Israeli thinking said Israeli officials were examining the proposal, but the plan approved by Hamas was not the framework Israel proposed.
An American official also said the US was still waiting to learn more about the Hamas position and whether it reflected an agreement to what had already been signed off on by Israel and international negotiators or something else. Both officials spoke on condition of anonymity as a stance was still being formulated.
Details of the proposal have not been released. Touring the region last week, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken had pressed Hamas to take the deal, and Egyptian officials said it called for a cease-fire of multiple stages starting with a limited hostage release and some Israeli troop pullbacks from Gaza. The two sides would also negotiate a “permanent calm” that would lead to a full hostage release and greater Israeli withdrawal, they said.
