Bengaluru: Launching a scathing attack on BJP’s chief ministerial candidate BS Yeddyurappa for having remarked that he had pardoned mining baron Janardhana Reddy and others in the ‘interest of the state’, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah pondered how pardoning someone who had looted thousands of crores of Kannadigas’ wealth was in the ‘interest of the state’.

Taking to Twitter, Siddaramaiah posed a three-point question to BJP’S Yeddyurappa:

1 Which interest of Karnataka is served by pardoning someone who looted thousands of crores of Kannadigas’ wealth?

2 Is it upto you to pardon him?

3 Did you ask PM Modi to direct CBI to formalise the ‘pardon’?

Yeddyurappa who had survived a bid to topple his government, planned by Reddy and few other MLAs had recently in an interview to a media channel claimed that he had forgiven Reddy and others who had troubled him when he was the chief minister.

His remarks had come post the BJP leadership’s announcement of tickets to two of the three Reddy brothers, and many of their aides, including B Sriramulu, Sanna Pakirappa and TH Suresh. Their nominations had invited a lot of criticism from opponents who took a jibe at the corruption-free governance promises of PM Modi.

The AICC president too took the opportunity to attack Narendra Modi, saying that while his government had delivered justice by jailing the Reddy brothers in the illegal mining case, the BJP leadership was trying to take them into the Vidhana Sabha. Modi was lying about standing against corruption, while giving tickets to those who had been to jail, he added.

Meanwhile the BJP top leadership is trying to avoid being seen with Janardhan Reddy. The BJP national president cancelled his recent Ballari visit allegedly to avoid sharing the dais with Reddy.

The party, however maintains that Reddy has been campaigning for the party in his personal capacity, as a friend to boost the victory chances of Ballary candidate Sriramulu.