[1]Law and parliamentary affairs minister S. Suresh Kumar is sticking to his guns and is in no mood to withdraw his resignation despite frantic pleas made to him by BJP top guns and several of his ministerial colleagues.
The minister, who resigned on Saturday following allegations pertaining to the allotment of a G-category site, declared that he was ready for a probe as he wanted the truth to come out. “I did not resign in haste, I did it after a lot of thought. I would like the Chief Minister to institute a probe. I have never betrayed my conscience and remain firm on my decision,” Mr Kumar told reporters on Sunday.
The Rajajinagar MLA, considered the ‘honest face’ of the BJP, had skipped the Cabinet meeting on Saturday and remained confined to his residence on Sunday too. All through the day, a host of senior BJP leaders, MLAs, MPs, BBMP councillors and party workers visited his house to persuade him to withdraw his resignation. Party leaders Dharmendra Pradhan and Arun Jaitely too reportedly called Suresh Kumar and requested him not to quit the Cabinet. The RSS has also begun efforts to convince him, said sources.
Chief Minister D.V. Sadananda Gowda, who is in Nagpur for BJP national president Nitin Gadkari’s son’s wedding, is yet to take a call on the issue. Meanwhile, BSY loyalist B.J. Puttaswamy defended Suresh Kumar alleging that politicians in JD(S) and Congress have grabbed sites for their children and their grandchildren. Bellary MLA Somashekhar Reddy too backed him.
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