Dr.Thomas (Special Correspondent)
I
welcome today’s protest of the BJP in Belagavi against our government.But,before making false allegations against our government,I hope BJP leaders will respond to the accusations made by their own MLA Basanagouda Patil Yatnal against former Chief Ministers B S Yediyurappa and Basavaraj Bommai, Yediyurappa’s son and party state president B Y Vijayendra,and the Leader of the Opposition,R Ashoka.
Basanagouda Patil Yatnal,who had previously accused Yediyurappa of becoming CM by offering a Rs.2,000 crore bribe to the High Command,threw a new bombshell yesterday.
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He accused Yediyurappa of blackmailing national BJP leaders to get his son appointed as the State President. What is this “blackmail”about? I expect Yediyurappa to clarify this in today’s public meeting.
Former CM Yediyurappa has been accused by Yatnal of deliberately engineering the defeat of BJP leader V Somanna by making him contest from two constituencies in Mysuru,after moving him from Bengaluru.
Yatnal has now made another serious allegation, claiming that Vijayendra paid money to ensure ex-CM Basavaraj Bommai’s defeat as well.
Yatnal’s confidence in making these accusations suggests that there may be truth in his claims, especially considering his challenge to swear on God regarding Bommai’s defeat.
Payment of this kind of money during elections is also a punishable offense under the law.
I believe that BJP leaders who are complaining that our government is being unfair to North Karnataka must have heard the allegations made against their party and government by Yatnal in the Assembly yesterday.
There is a continuous suppression of leaders in the state BJP. Some leaders,with the power of their money, are acquiring positions of power,which also casts doubt on R.Ashoka,who is the Leader of the Opposition.
Yatnal’s consistent allegations against his own party members are of a serious nature.It is the duty of the state BJP leaders to respond to this.The people of the state have the right to know about this.
The BJP leaders in the state have no moral right to talk about the development of North Karnataka.L K Advani did injustice by rejecting the demand to amend the Constitution to give special status to Hyderabad-Karnataka which is recorded in history.
Which BJP leader has the courage to deny this? The special status was granted by the UPA government led by Manmohan Singh,as promised by our leader Rahul Gandhi during the election campaigns,stating that if Mallikarjun Kharge is elected from Kalaburagi and the Congress forms the government at the Centre, they would ensure special status for Hyderabad-Karnataka.
There is a severe drought in the state with 223 taluks being the worst hit.The state government is doing its best to provide relief.
We have requested Rs.18,171 crore from the Union Government for drought relief.There has been crop loss in 48.19 lakh hectares of land for which we have asked for Rs.4,663 crore as compensation.
Our first request to the Centre for drought relief was made on September 21.A central team visited and surveyed, and also submitted a report.
The Union Government has not yet replied to the requests made by the State Government.Our written communications have also remained unanswered.Even our requests to meet the Prime Minister have not been granted.
The BJP leaders in the state should be protesting in front of PM Narendra Modi’s residence in Delhi,not in Belagavi.
They should be pressuring their own party’s 25 MPs to quickly release the drought relief funds.If they are afraid to raise their voice against the PM,I will join them along with my Cabinet members to support their cause. Mere shouting here for publicity will achieve nothing.
The weakness and powerlessness of the state BJP leaders were exposed during the protest in the Assembly recently.
When they were supposed to discuss the development projects for North Karnataka,they wasted time on unnecessary protests.If they really cared for North Karnataka, they wouldn’t have engaged in such foolish actions.
After the humiliating defeat in the Assembly and getting tired of protesting against our government,the BJP leaders have now brought former CM Yediyurappa to Belagavi to protest against our government.
It’s ironic that the same BJP leaders who made Yediyurappa step down from the Chief Minister’s post citing his age, are now helplessly falling at his feet.The people of the state are watching this as a spectacle.
The BJP didn’t have the competence to appoint a Leader of the Opposition even 150 days after the formation of the new Assembly.
The dispute is still unresolved.A majority of BJP legislators have not accepted R Ashoka as the LoP or B Y Vijayendra as the party’s State President. It seems like the BJP leaders are preoccupied with trivial issues, overlooking significant problems within their own ranks. This is the current predicament of the BJP leadership in the state.
