Former minister and president of BSR Congress, B. Sreeramulu, on Saturday said he would meet officers of the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) of Andhra Pradesh next week and cooperate with them in the probe into the “cash-for-bail” scam.

Speaking to media persons here, Mr Sreeramulu said “I am a law-abiding citizen. I always have high regard for institutions like ACB or police department. They have summoned me, so I will go there and say whatever I have to.”

Answering a question, Mr Sreeramulu said a notice from the ACB should not be misconstrued as an arrest warrant "It is not an arrest warrant, so why should I worry?" he asked.

Meanwhile, launching a tirade against former chief minister B. S. Yeddyurappa, the former minister said the leader should help farmers by ensuring proper implementation of drought relief schemes than embark on a state-wide tour.

Mr Sreeramulu said the former chief minister’s plan to tour the state was nothing short of a gimmick. The leader ought to have stayed in Bengaluru and made sure that the ministers concerned provided adequate drinking water and fodder in scarcity-hit districts.

“First of all, the state government has failed to use funds allocated by the Union government (for drought relief schemes). It has failed miserably in tackling drought as well as floods in the state,” he charged.

He announced that he would set out on the second leg of “Sankalpa Yatre” on August 23 from Nandgad, a village in Belgaum district, and criss-cross 34 Assembly constituencies in Belgaum, Bijapur and Bagalkot districts.

All set for yeddyurappa’s state tour

Former chief minister B.S. Yeddyurappa will criss-cross seven drought-hit districts during an eleven-day tour commencing on August 21, according to an itinerary finalized by deputy chief minister and state unit president K.S. Eshwarappa and himself.

Interestingly, Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar, general secretary H.N. Ananth Kumar and former chief minister D. V. Sadananda Gowda skipped a meeting of the core committee convened at the party office here on Saturday to firm up the leader’s journey through seven districts.

Mr Eshwarappa told media persons that both Mr Shettar and Mr Ananth Kumar did not make it as they were in New Delhi to attend a meeting convened by party president Nitin Gadkari.

The tour would be conducted under the banner of the party with other leaders set to join the former chief minister, he added.

Meanwhile, sources in the party said after returning from Shimoga on August 20, the former chief minister would commence his state-wide tour the next day.

He would visit Chitradurga on August 22, Bijapur on August 23, Hubli-Dharwad on August 24, Bagalakot on August 25, Gadag on August 26, and Chamarajanagar on August 31.

Leaders of the state unit, district in-charge ministers and legislators of respective constituencies would accompany him during the tour, the sources added.

According to a press release issued by the state unit of BJP, the leaders would collectively tour the districts in order to inspect works implemented with the help of drought relief funds. The release has listed only a five-day schedule of the tour from August 21 to 25.