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Karnataka BJP leaders seek action against Yatnal for making corruption allegations against Yediyurappa
On Tuesday, Yatnal launched a scathing attack on former chief minister BS Yediyurappa, accusing him of engaging in massive corruption amounting to ₹40,000 crore during the state’s Covid-19 management when the BJP government was in power
Several prominent leaders in the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) have called for action against Vijayapura MLA Basangouda Patil Yatnal over his comments against senior party leaders, leaders familiar with the matter said on Wednesday.
On Tuesday, Yatnal launched a scathing attack on former chief minister BS Yediyurappa, accusing him of engaging in massive corruption amounting to ₹40,000 crore during the state’s Covid-19 management when the BJP government was in power.
On Wednesday, BJP state president BY Vijayendra conducted a meeting with party office-bearers at the Malleswaram party office. During the gathering, prominent leaders, including former minister and state party vice-president Murugesh Nirani, asked Vijayendra to write to central leaders, seeking disciplinary action against Yatnal, said leaders aware of the development.
“We can’t disclose the details of the discussions of a closed-door meeting but I can confirm that there has been a serious talk on this (Yatnal) issue. We will not tolerate any action that hurts the party in the state. We are hopeful that our central leadership will take the right decision in the coming days on the matter,” said BJP state general secretary P Rajeev.
Former chief minister DV Sadananda Gowda expressed dissatisfaction with the party’s functioning in the state. He called for swift action against leaders causing embarrassment to the party and criticised the BJP leadership for not reigning in those speaking against senior members.
“There are dozens of people who are speaking against their own party leaders. I want to appeal to central leadership to give a platform to senior leaders to express their opinions. There is the belief that a dictatorial attitude has come in the BJP. We should come out of it and hold consultations. If anybody flouts party discipline, strict action should be taken against them,” Bengaluru North MP said.
Addressing the repeated statements by Vijayapura MLA Basanagouda Patil Yatnal, Gowda revealed that Yediyurappa compelled him to readmit Yatnal into the party. “I had suspended Janardhana Reddy for his statement on HD Kumaraswamy. Why is the BJP leadership not doing it now? I had suspended Yatnal from the party. Yediyurappa forced me to induct him due to which I allowed him to join the BJP. Due to this, we are suffering now. I demand strict action against people speaking against the party,” Gowda added.
However, former chief minister Sadananda also expressed displeasure with the recent developments in the state BJP unit and asked its leadership to abandon a “dictatorial attitude”.
“There is a feeling of dictatorial attitude that has crept inside the party. We know what happened to a dictator like Indira Gandhi and how it caused the decline of Congress. So, we should get out of this dictatorial attitude and take decisions in consultation with everyone”.
While addressing the media after the meeting, BJP state president BY Vijayendra focused on election-related matters and refrained from commenting on the Yatnal issue. Talking about the importance of taking opponents seriously in every election, he urged party members to ensure that the central government’s pro-people programs led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi reach the public.
“In every election, there are different types of challenges. We must not take our opponents lightly, if we are to successfully meet those challenges,” Vijayendra said, pointing out that the Congress is in government in the state.
Vijayendra highlighted the achievements and programs of the Modi government, stressing the significance of party workers’ efforts in taking central government schemes to people’s doorsteps. He called for a serious approach to upcoming elections, including zilla panchayat, taluk panchayat, Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), and legislative council polls.
Meanwhile, the Congress party continued its attack on the BJP citing Yatnal’s statement. “Yatnal’s statement has once made it clear that there is support for widespread corruption within the BJP. Most importantly, the inaction of the central government, of Modi and Shah, has encouraged this behaviour. The central agencies are eager to go after the Opposition leaders are quiet on such issues,” said state health minister Dinesh Gundu Rao.
