Watch row:?BJP plans legal fight against CM

Bengaluru, Feb 22: Union Law Minister D V Sadananada Gowda on Sunday said that the BJP would launch a legal fight against Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on the issue of his wearing an expensive wrist watch.

“State BJP president Pralhad Joshi lodging a complaint with the Enforcement Directorate is a step in this direction. The party will ensure that the issue reaches a logical conclusion. The chief minister should have come clean on the issue, but has been trying to hide all the information,” he said.

JD(S) State president H D Kumaraswamy, who raised the issue, should have taken it to the logical end. But it appears that he may not pursue the issue in the wake of the Congress leader disclosing information about expensive cars and watches that he owns, Gowda said.

Bike rally

The Union minister was speaking to reporters after taking part in a bike rally organised at Hebbal to express gratitude to the electorate for voting in favour of the BJP in the recent byelection.

On the Opposition parties accusing Prime Minister Narendra Modi of being silent on the JNU issue, Gowda said it was not appropriate to comment on anything at this juncture as the investigation was going on.

The judiciary has been looking into the issue and it is not proper for the government to comment on it, he said.

Gowda said the State BJP core committee meeting convened by party national president Amit Shah on February 23 in Delhi was likely to discuss the appointment of a new State president and organisation of the party in the State in the coming days.

“No agenda has been set for the meeting. But the appointment of the new president is likely to be discussed,” he added.

Time not ticking for me: Siddu

Chief Minister said Siddaramaiah said on Sunday that it was a figment of one's imagination to think that the controversy surrounding the watch he wears would lead to his ouster from the post, reports DHNS from Chitradurga.

He told reporters in the city that he had no personal grudge against former chief minister Yeddyurappa. Cases against him would be handled as per law, the chief minister said. At the same time, Siddaramaiah said that he need not be afraid of Yeddyurappa.