CM Yediyurappa brushes aside speculation of JD(S) joining BJP govt
New Delhi: Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa on Friday brushed aside speculation of Janata Dal (Secular) joining the state government or extending any support.
The chief minister, who is in the national capital on a three-day tour, dismissed such reports that emerged after JD(S) leader and former Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy recently met him to discuss "development-related works".
"It is all speculation, there is no truth in it. As one of the leaders of the Opposition party, Kumaraswamy had recently met me to discuss development-related works. There was no political issue discussed in that meeting," Yediyurappa told reporters here when asked about the reports.
He said his party BJP has a comfortable majority in Karnataka and does not require any support from JD(S).
Yediyurappa also refuted the Opposition's charge that his son and BJP state vice-president B Y Vijayendra was acting like a "super CM". He said Vijayendra was focusing on the party works and not interfering in the functioning of the government.
"Some of the opposition leaders are making baseless allegations out of jealousy looking at his political growth," Yediyurappa said.
He said he would discuss the expansion of the Cabinet with party president J P Nadda later during the day. Yediyurappa also held a discussion with BJP National General Secretary B L Santosh.
Earlier during the day, the chief minister called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and several Union Ministers to discuss development works related to the state, according to an official statement.
Yediyurappa called on Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar at the Parliament House and requested for early grant of the 'Terms of Reference' for the Mekedatu project and first stage forest clearances for the Kalasa and Banduri Nala projects in the state.
He later met Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat and urged the government to declare Upper Krishna Project Stage-III and Upper Bhadra Project as National Projects, the statement said.
The chief minister also requested for early approvals and clearances for irrigation and drinking water projects including Mekedatu and Kalasa Banduri Nala to utilise the water resources allocated to the state.
He also called on Steel Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and requested him to expedite the process of disinvestment of the Visvesvaraya Iron and Steel Limited, it said.
On September 17, Yediyurappa had met Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman as well as Defence Minister Rajnath Singh.
With the speculation that the chief minister may undergo cabinet expansion, several leaders from the state including former ministers H Vishwanath and MP Renukacharya have come to the national capital.
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Compromised PM didn't sign trade deal with US, but a bargain for Adani's release: Rahul
New Delhi (PTI): Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of signing a trade deal with the US only to secure the "release" of billionaire businessman Gautam Adani.
"Compromised PM did not strike a trade deal, but a bargain for Adani's release," Gandhi said in a post in Hindi on X, after reports that the US has agreed to settle the lawsuit that accused Adani of hiding alleged bribery.
The US government has agreed to settle the lawsuit filed against Adani, who is accused of duping investors by concealing that his company's huge solar energy project in India was being facilitated by an alleged bribery scheme, according to court filings published Thursday.
Reacting to the reports, Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh said it was now clear why the PM agreed to the "hopelessly one-sided Indo-US trade deal that was really a steal by the US".
"And it is also clear why he abruptly halted Operation Sindoor on May 10, 2025, acting on President Trump's threats rather than on our national interest. Reportedly, the Trump Administration is about to drop all charges of corruption against Modani," he said on X.
"How much more compromised can the PM get?" Ramesh asked.
In the lawsuit filed in late 2024, the Securities and Exchange Commission accused Adani Group Chairman Gautam Adani and his nephew Sagar Adani, who is a director at the group's renewable energy unit Adani Green Energy Ltd, of agreeing to pay about USD 265 million in bribes to Indian government officials between approximately 2020 and 2024 to obtain lucrative solar energy supply contracts on terms that expected to yield USD 2 billion of profit over 20 years.
It was alleged in the lawsuit that Adani Group raised USD 2 billion in loans and bonds, including from US firms, on the backs of false and misleading statements related to the firm's anti-bribery practices and policies.
The ports-to-energy conglomerate had denied the allegations.
