BJP acts tough, takes action against Yeddyurappa loyalists

The Bharatiya Janata Party has acted against two senior leaders from Karnataka for their public loyalty to former chief minister B S Yeddyurappa. While B Puttaswamy, cabinet minister in the ruling BJP government, has been sacked, Member of Parliament G Basavaraj has been suspended from the party.

The decision was taken at the meeting of the core committee of the BJP held in New Delhi on Saturday and announced by Karnataka Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar.

The decision against the two leaders came after they openly supported the disgruntled leader, who has quit the BJP and decided to float a new party. The BJP has been sending signals to all its Karnataka leaders against associating with Yeddyurappa and has warned them of strict action if they took part in his party's rally on Sunday.

Yeddyurappa will hold a rally at Haveri in Karnataka on Sunday to announce the launch of his new outfit -- the Karnataka Janata Party

Yeddyurappa's loyalists have been told to stay away from the rally. They will attend a breakfast meeting at Haveri before the rally but will desist from sharing the dais with him.

The former CM had earlier stated that unless he was provoked to do so, he would not try to topple the ruling BJP government in the state.