Biased
But Christian and Muslim leaders have another account.
Adolf Washington, public relations officer for the Catholic Archbishop's office in Bangalore said church officials had called Yeddyurappa "many times but he did not come. He is a Chief Minister so we cannot force him to come."
Salim Babu, secretary of the Karnataka WAKF Board, which manages mosques for the government, said both Yeddyurappa and his WAKF Board Minister, Mumtaz Ali Khan, have spurned requests from the Muslim community to attend events and meetings.
"He is not interested in attending mosques," Salim said about Yeddyurappa, adding that the chief minister showed favoritism to the religious majority.
"He should not discriminate between a tall son and a dwarf son," he said.
The visits
Records show that Yeddyurappa's state-paid temple visits began shortly after he was sworn in on May 30.
His first was on June 17, a trip that cost taxpayers Rs. 2,440, to the Ghati Subramanya Temple in Doddabalapur. That was followed 12 days later by a Rs. 854 car ride to the Sri Keshtra Siddhara Betta temple in Tumkur. There, the chief minister participated in a Guru Vadana, or tribute ceremony, in honor of Shiva Kumar Swamiji of Sidhaganga Matta.
The most expensive trips were to Tirupathi, India's most famous Hindu shrine. His trips on July 17 and October 1 each cost taxpayers Rs. 3.6 lakhs for a "special aircraft" and Rs. 9,500 for the taxi.
Officially religious
The official purpose given for the trips was "local visit," although the latter was during the Bramhotsava. The nine-day festival is the busiest time for the temple.
Twice he flew in state-paid helicopters to temples. A September 8 trip to the Banavasi temple in Hassan cost Rs 1.4 lakhs for the helicopter ride. The other, on October 10, cost taxpayers nearly Rs. 1.9 lakhs for transportation to the Sri Krishna Mutt in Udupi, where he inaugurated the food hall.
According to the CM's office, a temple visit is "official" and paid by the government if Yeddyurappa is invited by a local official, such as a district commissioner (DC), to attend a public ceremony, function or make an inspection.
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