Bangalore, November 20
Maintaining that he has not committed anything wrong, a combative Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yeddyurappa today ruled out his resignation over land scam charges, even as Opposition JD-S targeted his two sons and son-in-law, accusing them of being involved in another land row.

Returning from Delhi, where BJP’s Core Committee last night discussed corruption allegations against him and the options before it, he insisted that there is no question of change in leadership in the remaining two-and-half-years of the state government’s term.

Talking to reporters in Hubli, Yeddyurappa said: “Why should I (resign)? There is no offence from my side. I have not committed any mistake.”

He said the party fought elections in Karnataka under his leadership and he would complete his term. “If the party wants to fight the next elections under someone else’s leadership, I am going to support (that person) fully,” said the CM.

“I will go back to Delhi on Monday for further talks with party leaders and our parliament members," said Yeddyurappa. Yeddyurappa said he was ready to quit politics if the judicial inquiry finds he has committed anything wrong. The Chief Minister said he would provide to MPs all information on allegations against him, as well as those pertaining to the alleged “scams” of Deve Gowda and his son and former Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy. On Opposition demand that he quit till the inquiry is completed, Yeddyurappa asked: “How many Chief Ministers facing allegations in the country have resigned?” He asserted that charges against him are “baseless” and have been levelled to create confusion ahead of taluk and zilla panchayat elections.

Yeddyurappa said there was nothing wrong in allotment of two acres each by Karnataka Industrial Areas Development Board to his two sons and a daughter to set up industries.“I can show 1,000 examples of Congress and JD-S leaders getting 10 acres, 20, 30, 40 acres from KIADB and setting up industries,” he said.

Meanwhile, a local TV channel showed bank statements allegedly revealing money transferred in the name of Yeddyurappa’s MP son Raghavendra, his other son Vijayendra and son-in-law Sohan Kumar by a mining company - South West Mining Ltd. The report caught the attention of JDS leader HD Kumaraswamy, who later addressed a press conference. The channel claimed that a total of Rs 20 crore - 10 crore to the account of Raghavendra and five crore each to Vijayendra and Sohan Kumar’s accounts - was transferred in August by the firm.