Bengaluru: Karnataka BJP chief BS Yeddyurappa has warned Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy of "retaliatory action by the centre" if the state government initiates any action against him. The state BJP president was reacting to Mr Kumaraswamy's warning for his corruption remark against the chief minister and his father HD Devegowda.
"Kumaraswamy should not forget that it's Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government at the centre and if he takes any action, we know how to retaliate," threatened the Lingayat strongman.
The war of words between the two leaders was started by BS Yeddyurappa on Wednesday when during a party programme in Bengaluru he alleged that "both the father and son have looted the state".
The chief minister then warned Mr Yedyurappa to not make such baseless allegations. "For how long will I keep quiet? I am the chief minister here. Does he think that I can't do anything?" Mr Kumaraswamy said.
Mr Yeddyurappa's threat triggered protest by youth Congress members where they raised slogans against the BJP and its state unit chief outside his home in Bengaluru's Dollars Colony.
Leaders of both the coalition partners -- the Congress and the JDS -- have been alleging that the BJP has been trying to destabilise their three-month-old government in Karnataka by attempting to poach on their lawmakers.
JDS leader and minister Sa Ra Mahesh claims that the BJP has been trying to pull another "Operation Kamala" -- a term coined in 2008 when the BJP, three seats short of majority, had managed to secure support of lawmakers from rival parties and form the government.
The BJP has dismissed such claims and in fact said that the alliance partners were trying to poach on their leaders.