Khursheed accuses BJP of making light of corruption in Karnataka

New Delhi, Oct 19 (ANI): Union Law and Justice Minister Salman Khursheed has accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of not being serious about the corruption cases against former Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa.

Addressing a conference of Indian Women Press Corps here, Khursheed said the BJP seemed to view Yeddyurappa's corruption as an achievement.

"Their stand on what is happening in Karnataka, I must say, is somewhat sublime. It amuses me that they seem to want to take it so lightly in their stride, as though it's one more achievement of the BJP," he said.

Yeddyurappa was forced to resign in July after the Lokayukta indicted him and other key officials into the mining graft in which the state exchequer lost at least 160 billion rupees between 2006 and 2010.

Commenting on veteran social activist Anna Hazare's team, Khurshid said: " The reported rifts between the activist's aides was the natural result of the momentum achieved by the anti-graft movement.

"When a movement grows, and a movement becomes powerful and effective, and it comes in contact with a lot of forces, these kind of things will happen. Some people will come, some people will go, some people will be left behind, some people will run ahead. It's not for me, frankly, to comment on any of them," he said.

Khursheed also said that team Anna's decision to campaign against the Congress party in Hisar was not a sensible one, and their taking credit for the Congress' loss was meaningless.

"Everybody has a right to go anywhere, campaign, say whatever you like, and people will judge, and to say that you've lost because of us and you've lost not because of us, et cetera is meaningless. We've lost many elections and we've won many elections," Khursheed said.

He also refuted team Anna's assertion that the people of India were above the Constitution of the country and had the right to amend it, saying that the right to amend the constitution rested with the Parliament.

"My meagre understanding of the law tells me that the common public cannot change the Constitution. The Constitution can only be made by the Constituent Assembly and it can only be amended by the Parliament, as per article 368. The Supreme Court has said that even the Parliament can amend the Constitution up to a limit. It cannot alter the basic structure," Khursheed said. (ANI)