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Lend me your ear: L K Advani gave C M B S Yeddyurappa a lesson in Rajadharma file pic |
This time around, it is L K Advani who has preached the Rajadharma to Yeddyurappa.
The BJP prime ministerial candidate is understood to have advised the chief minister to handle the church attacks impartially.
Six years ago, then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, had asked Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi to follow Rajadharma, when he was openly supporting Hindus in the post Godhra riots.
The sources in BJP said Advani had called Yeddyurappa on Sunday to express his concern over the party's image taking a beating in the wake of the uncontrolled attacks on churches.
Check law & order
"Advani seemed to be sounding a warning to the chief minister," said the source. "He said he wanted to see that law and order was well maintained in the state."
Advani is understood to have advised Yeddyurappa to shed his ego in this issue, as it was important to strengthen the party base in the south, rather than prove a point to the opposition.
"This alert came to the chief minister as the parliamentary elections are drawing closer and Advani is hell-bent on grabbing the Prime Minister's seat this time," said the source.
A source said BJP national president Rajnath Singh also called Yeddyurappa on the same issue and advised him to go about it in a politically correct manner. He is said to have pointed to the fact that the opposition parties were gaining an upper hand over the issue at the national level.
"If Article 356 is enforced, then it will be a disaster," Rajnath is supposed to have told him.
Autocratic Yeddy
The calls came after a section of the local leaders complained to the high command about Yeddyurappa's autocratic attitude.
"The local leaders, who are more concerned about the coming parliamentary elections, have complained against Yeddyurappa's failure to handle the issues, including the attacks on churches," said the source. "And the high command promptly responded."
The needle of suspicion points towards the MP, Ananth Kumar, a rival of Yeddyurappa within the party, who is looking for a re-election.
