BENGALURU: BJP MLA and former Union minister Basangouda Patil Yatnal’s allegations of corruption against party stalwart BS Yediyurappa have caused a major embarrassment within the party and is threatening to dent its image ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. Following this, party leaders are demanding stern action against him.
Sources said Yatnal’s tirade against the former chief minister and allegations of corruption in the BJP government came up for discussion during the meeting of newly appointed office-bearers. Many leaders were said to have expressed displeasure over Yatnal’s conduct and accused him of acting like a Congress agent.
They urged the state leadership to take the matter up with central leaders and get Yatnal expelled from the party as failure to take action against him would make them look like guilty. Many were also said to have felt that they should not allow Yatnal to sabotage the party ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, sources said. The leaders told BJP state president B Y Vijayendra that it would become difficult for them to meet people if they do not put an end to such damaging statements coming from the party MLA.
“All developments were discussed seriously. Any activities and statements that will damage the party will not be tolerated,” BJP state general secretary P Rajiv told reporters to a question if Yatnal’s allegations against Yediyurappa were discussed at the meeting. However, he refused to give the details about the deliberations.
Earlier in the day, addressing a press conference in Bengaluru, BJP MP and former CM DV Sadananda Gowda said over 25 statements about the party have come from over a dozen leaders. If that is allowed to continue it will increase further and damage the party, he said.
Gowda said when he was the party president he had taken action against those speaking against the party and that should be done now.
Meanwhile, Congress leaders used Yatnal’s statements to put the BJP on the back foot. The ruling party leaders claimed that the BJP MLA’s statements proved their allegation of corruption in the BJP regime.
“BJP MLA @BasanagoudaBJP’s bold allegation that the previous @BJP4Karnataka government led by @BSYBJP was involved in a Rs 40,000 crore corruption scandal during the Covid-19 pandemic has given further evidence to our earlier accusation that the BJP government was a ‘40% commission government’,” the CM stated on X.
The CM said they had accused the Yediyurappa government of corruption of approximately Rs 4,000 crore under the guise of Covid treatment and management. “Yatnal should not make hit-and-run accusations. If he is committed to eradicating corruption, he should logically conclude his accusation. For this, he needs to submit all the information he has about corruption to the inquiry commission led by retired judge Nagamohan Das,” the CM stated.
Home Minister H Parameshwara said they were under the wrong impression that corruption during the BJP government was Rs 4,000 crore as it was Rs 40,000 crore.