I am people’s puppet: CM

DHNS

Bangalore, 25 August 2011: Chief Minister D V Sadananda Gowda on Wednesday asserted that he was no marionette manipulated by his predecessor B S Yeddyurappa, but was ’’a puppet in the hands of six crore people of the State’’.

 

Gowda’s statement came at a meet-the-press organised by journalists’ associations here,  in response to a query over the transfer of top police officer Pranab Mohanty out of the Lokayukta Police, a move that has been attributed in many quarters to pressure from Yeddyurappa who is facing various cases in the Lokayukta special court. When a journalist pointed out that though he (the CM) has the image of being a ‘good man’, he is a puppet of his predecessor, Gowda retorted: “The answer lies in your question.”

 

“Good people are always independent. A good man can’t be a puppet in the hands of anybody. Yeddyurappa, as former chief minister, can give suggestions. But I will take the final decision. I will not bow to pressure not take any decision in a hurry,” the chief minister said.

 

When his attention was drawn to former chief minister Yeddyurappa’s reported remark that he would become the chief minister again in next six months, Gowda said; “You must seek answer from the person who made the statement.”

 

On reports that the Reddy brothers of Bellary had taken away around 14 of their loyalist legislators to a resort in a foreign country, Gowda said, “Everyone is independent to do want they want. In politics, lobbying is common. But, I will take my own decision”.

 

The Reddy brothers and their close aide Sriramulu (who have been indicted in the Lokayukta report) are cut up with Gowda for dropping them from the Cabinet while retaining Housing Minister V Somanna.

 

Gowda said no “tainted” person will be inducted into the cabinet. It was only after taking legal opinion that he had inducted Somanna (his son’s name figures in the Lokayukta report) and C P Yogeeshwara (a Criminal Investigation Department investigation is pending against him) into the Cabinet.