Curfew in Bangalore; M Veerappa Moily back Governor

Union Law minister M Veerappa Moily on Saturday supported Karnataka Governor HR Bharadwaj?s decision to allow prosecution of chief minister BS Yeddyurappa in an alleged land scam.

He also slammed the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for failing to get its chief minister, Yeddyurappa, to quit office after such allegations.

?Everyone is equal before law….the Chief Minister does not enjoy immunity (from prosecution). Everything is on record about corruption and nepotism (of Yeddyurappa government) and even BJP had asked him to quit,? Veerappa Moily told reporters in Mumbai.

He added that the Governor was well within his powers to sanction prosecution of the chief minister.

Referring to the BJP?s strike in Karnataka, Veerappa Moily said, ?BJP is defending corruption. Going to streets over this issue will mean that BJP is defending corruption.?

Meanwhile, curfew was clamped in India’s best known IT hub- Bangalore – on Saturday as marauding protesters set afire score of public vehicle to enforce total shut to vent ire against Bharadwaj?s sanction for prosecution of the Chief Minister for alleged land scam.

At least 30 government buses were set on fire in Bangalore, Hasan, Tumkur and Davanagere district, Jayanagar, Electronic City and K R Puram as the pro-bandh BJP supporters had been targeting bus depots to cripple life.

The Police Commissioner has enforced section 144 prohibitory order in Bangalore for the next 48 hours.

Governor H S Bharadwaj, who singed prosecution order against the CM, has appealed for peace.

Union Home Minister P Chidambaram has asked the Union Home Secretary to keep in touch with the Karnataka’s Director General of Police (DGP) and get latest law and order situation.

The spat between Bhardwaj and Yeddyurappa has been going for months after the latter survived no-motion confidence motion in the Assembly following rebellion among the party legislators and some independents.