Former Karnataka chief minister and Leader of the Opposition in the state assembly, Siddaramaiah, on Tuesday said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi should order a probe into allegations of corruption against BS Yediyudappa and his family.
“The PM should immediately order a probe by a sitting Supreme Court judge so that the people know the truth,” Siddaramaiah said. “The PM shouldn’t just say ‘Naa khaoonga, na khaane doonga’ and sit quietly,” he said.
The statement by the senior Congress leader comes a day after BJP MLA Basanagouda Basavaraj Patil (Yatnal) made scathing remarks against Yediyurappa.
Yatnal, one of the staunchest critics of Yediyurappa, has refused to dial down on his tirade against the chief minister and his family despite a show-cause notice issued by the BJP.
He alleged that Yediyurappa and his family were involved in huge amounts of corruption. “Yediyurappa’s family have been taking bribes to sanction projects and transfer of officials and his son (Vijayendra) is behind all this,” he said. Vijayendra has been accused by others in the party for running a “parallel government”.
Yatnal also said that Yediyurappa and Vijayendra play the Lingayat card only to their benefit.
{{/usCountry}}Yatnal also said that Yediyurappa and Vijayendra play the Lingayat card only to their benefit.
{{/usCountry}}“Whenever Yediyurappa gets an indication from the top that there is a threat to his chair (position), he uses the Veerashaiva-Lingayat issue to his advantage. His son (Vijayendra) too does so on similar lines,” Yatnal had said.
The developments are adding to the 77-year-old chief minister’s problems who has had to part the high office unceremoniously on his previous three stints.
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His souring relations with the BJP central leadership have not helped. Yediyurappa’s fourth-term in office has been rattled by dissent within the party and his government that has been made worse by the Covid-19 pandemic. The health crisis has dealt a serious blow to Karnataka and its finances. With reductions in fund inflow from the Centre, Yediyurappa has barely been able to announce any new schemes or programmes due to the cash crunch.
Even though Karnataka has been one of the highest revenue contributing states in the country, the Centre has not been able to transfer the benefit back to the southern state for flood relief or help its fledgling economy.
Yatnal, among others, has used this opportunity to target the chief minister even as the Opposition remains a mute spectator.