Congress distorting my statement on rebel MLAs: Yediyurappa

Bengaluru : Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa on Sunday charged the Congress with distorting his statement in a leaked audio clipping on rebel MLAs, even as the opposition party announced state-wide protests over his 'confession' on the BJP leadership's involvement in it.

The Congress also said they would mention the matter before the Supreme Court on Monday. Yediyurappa said those who resigned (disqualified MLAs) had done so for their own reasons and the party did not have anything to do with it.

"What has to be done next our party will decide, our national president will decide- this is what I said, nothing else," Yediyurappa said, defending his statement in the leaked audio tape.

Speaking to reporters here, the Chief Minister denied having said that he would give tickets to those who resigned and said matters were being unnecessarily distorted "to create confusion in the Supreme Court."

"....there is no meaning to it... demanding Amit Shahs resignation is foolishness. This is false propaganda...people will teach a lesson (to the Congress) in the by-election.

Yediyurappa said what he had stated in the clipping was that the whole country was aware that the disqualified MLAs were in Mumbai. "What does Amit Shah have to do with it..(distortion of statement) is being done for publicity. I condemn this conduct of Siddaramaiah," he added.

A purported audio clipping of Yediyurappa expressing anguish against leaders at a recent party meeting in Hubballi over their opposition to giving tickets to disqualified Congress-JD(S) MLAs for the December 5 assembly bypolls in 15 assembly constituencies had surfaced on Friday.