Unfazed by mounting pressure, a combative Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa on Monday asserted he would continue in his post for the remainder of his term, ruling out his resignation in the wake of the Lokayukta report indicting him in the illegal mining scam.
"I am going to continue as Chief Minister for another two years," Yeddyurappa, who appeared relaxed, told media persons in the company of BJP State unit President K S Eshwarappa shortly after the former's arrival from Mauritius where he was on a holiday with his family.
Yeddyurappa's comment came at a time when BJP central leadership said it would take "appropriate action" once the report is submitted to the government.
"Opposition parties hoping that I would quit would be disappointed," he said.
'I will speak to the people'
"The Lokayukta so far officially has not submitted the report to the Government. As soon as I receive the report from Lokayukta, then I will be able to reply to all the queries", he told media persons.
"Till now, I have high respect for Lokayukta Santosh Hegde. All of us are eagerly awaiting his report. The moment we get the report, I will give the reaction of the government to the six crore people of Karnataka", Yeddyurappa said.
On demands for his resignation by opposition parties, he said former prime minister and Janata Dal-Supremo supremo H D Devegowda had said that if Yeddyurappa government is "allowed to continue", they (JDS) "will be no more".
He said the opposition parties "don't want development in Karnataka" and want his government to go at the earliest.
Yeddyurappa said Congress and JDS leaders (looking forward for his resignation) would be "disappointed".
He said he would go around the state and "speak to the people".
Lokayukta's phone tapping an unpardonable crime
The Chief Minister is slated to address a formal press conference at Vidhan Soudha, the State Secretariat, at 4.30 pm, where he said, he would talk about the "future plan".
Ministers V S Acharya, V Somanna, Murugesh Nirani and M P Renukacharya were among those who welcomed him at the airport.
Terming as 'an unpardonable crime' the phone-tapping of Karnataka Lokayukta Justice N Santosh Hegde, Yeddyurappa has sought an inquiry into the issue by a Central team and denied his hand and that of the ruling BJP in it.
He said had the Lokayukta reported the matter to the Central government, an inquiry would have taken place by now.
'Our party and me do not have such a character'
"Even now, it's not too late. I am going to request the Prime Minister (Manmohan Singh) to send one important team to inquire into the phone-tapping", he said. "Our party and me do not have such a character to do this unpardonable crime (phone-tapping)".
The Lokayukta, who has indicted Yeddyurappa, his four ministers and others in the mining scam in the leaked report that has raised a political storm, had claimed last week that his phone had been tapped.
Karnataka government has asserted it had not ordered tapping of telephone of the Lokayukta, who on Saturday hinted at the possible involvement of a political party behind it.
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