Dy. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah told the Assembly that he continued to be the leader of Janata Dal (S) Legislature Party. He was responding to questions raised by the Opposition members seeking clarification from him over the developments in JD (S).

They wanted to know whether Siddaramaiah was removed from the Leadership as reported in the press. Siddaramaiah dismissed the press reports as “just rumours” adding that he continued to be the JD (S) LP Leader, Dy. Chief Minister and Finance Minister.

"You should have no doubt about it," he added.

The Dy. Chief Minister maintained that the meeting held yesterday under the Chairmanship of JD (S) President Thippanna and the so - called resolution were “illegal and unconstitutional”.

"I have called a meeting of JD (S) LP on Aug. 4, which is legal as per the constitution of the party," he declared. The opposition members criticized the JD (S) developments dubbing them as “undemocratic” when the House was in the session.

Rasta Roko around Mysore city - Siddaramaiah’s ouster echoes:
More than 70 Janata Dal (S) activists were taken into custody in K. R. Circle this afternoon while they were protesting against the move to remove Deputy Chief Minister Siddaramaiah from the leadership of JD(S) LP. The Police had to take them into custody as they refused to disperse though more than a thousand activists left the Circle after staging demonstration. Earlier in the day, Janata Dal (S) activists loyal to Siddaramaiah staged Rasta Roko in and around the city.

As already reported JD (S) Legislators loyal to JD (S) supremo H. D. Deve Gowda at a meeting at Sericulture Minister Chennigappa yesterday had passed a resolution removing Siddaramaiah from the leadership. They elected Revenue Minister M. P. Prakash as their leader in the Legislature.

More than 150 party activists from K. R. Constituency squatted on Nanjangud Road near Gundu Rao Nagar at around 10.45 a. m. and began shouting slogans against H. D. Deve Gowda, H. D. Kumaraswamy, M. P. Prakash and also against Hunsur MLA G. T. Deve Gowda.

The protestors carried a portrait of Siddaramaiah. They continued to hail Siddaramaiah beating drums as “Siddaramaiah Zindabad”.

A large number of vehicles were stranded on either directions of the road. They included buses, lorries, tempos, autorickshaws and even two - wheelers. As the Police found the activists in no mood of ending the stir, they diverted the vehicles proceeding to Mysore to the Ring Road. However, after an hour, the activists ended the Rasta Roko and marched towards K. R. Circle through Chamundipuram and Nanjumalige.

Another group of about 100 activists blocked the Mananthody Road near Srirampura throwing the traffic out of gear. Activists led by former ZP member K. Mari Gowda staged Rasta Roko in Hinkal. The village observed a bandh responding to the call by the agitators. Later they marched to K. R. Circle. The activists came in groups to K. R. Circle and staged a demonstration.

As the crowd swelled to nearly a thousand the activists formed human chain around the Circle disrupting the traffic. Former Mayor D. Dhruvakumar, his brother Nagabhushan and Deputy Mayor Suresh Babu led the agitation. Some activists removed their shirts and performed Urulu Seve around the Circle.

Helmeted and lathi-wielding Policemen in large numbers were deployed on security duty.