KALABURAGI: The BJP took a stern view of its party members being involved in the activities of the Sangolli Rayanna Brigade and suspended its general secretary D Venkatesh Murthy for anti-party activities.
A letter by BJP president P N Sadashiva stated that being a member of the BJP, he was working against the interests of the party in Basavanagudi Assembly constituency (Bengaluru) and Bengaluru city. Sadashiva also stated that Murthy had not replied to a show cause notice issued to him and hence he was being suspended from the primary membership of the party. Murthy is an ex-corporator from BJP and was also the Mayor of Bengaluru in 2012-13.
Meanwhile, the Sangolli Rayanna Brigade has distanced itself from BJP, said mentor of Sangooli Rayanna Brigade K S Eshwarappa here on Tuesday. The friction between state president Yeddyurappa and senior leader Eshwarappa over the formation of the Brigade has been evident over the past few months and Eshwarappa has been warned by senior BJP leaders in Delhi to not get involved with the Brigade.
Eshwarappa who was here to attend district level convention of the Brigade, told press persons that initially the Brigade had plans to support BJP so that it could establish majority in the elections to State Assembly in scheduled for 2018. He said he had also conveyed to state president Yeddyurappa several times that the Brigade is keen to help BJP in gaining majority of seats.
"But from the beginning Yeddyurappa opposed the formation of the Brigade and has openly told that he does need support from Brigade to become chief minister and the people would support him and would bring BJP to power. As Yeddyurappa rejected the support of Brigade, we have decided to keep distance from BJP and to build it apolitically. The Brigade would not work for the success of Yeddyurappa or BJP in the elections. As of now the Brigade will give liberty to its members to stand elections from any party or to support any party which supports the cause of Dalits and oppressed class," Eshwarappa announced.
Eshwarappa made it clear that individually he supported BJP and its dictates till he remained in the party.
When asked whether he was planning to quit the party, he evaded any answer. Eshwarappa said that the change of the policy of Brigade not to support any political party as an organisation was done as per the advice of many religious leaders. The brigade would respect the seers of Mutts and would follow their guidance. Many leaders of various political parties have joined Brigade, he claimed. When asked whether the Brigade would harm the prospects of BJP, Eshwarappa said that BJP and Brigade were different and there was no relation between them.
"As of now we have planned to strengthen the Brigade in ten districts of North/Hyderabad Karnataka in the first phase and in the second phase the base would be extended to other parts of the State, Eshwarappa said.
He admitted that he went to New Delhi recently with a few RSS leaders to convince the BJP high command that Brigade would not harm the prospects of BJP. "They heard us patiently, but did not react," Eshwarappa said.