CM’s family members are corrupt: Yatnal

Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa’s family members are “engaged in large-scale corruption” and they are bringing a “bad name” to the State government and the BJP, Basanagouda Patil Yatnal, BJP MLA, said in Vijayapura on Monday.

“Around 30-35 members of the Chief Minister’s family are living in Cauvery, the Chief Minister’s official residence. These relatives include his children and grandchildren. They are taking bribes to sanction projects and to transfer officials. The main person behind all this is B.Y. Vijayendra, the Chief Minister’ s son. Mr. Yediyurappa is helpless as he is old and weak. These relatives were nowhere to be seen when Mr. Yediyurappa was the Opposition leader or other times. There was only a cook and an assistant in those days. These relatives have gathered around him only for power,” Mr. Yatnal alleged before journalists.

Responding to a statement by Mr. Vijayendra that the Chief Minister was working in an environment surrounded by “snakes and scorpions,” Mr. Yatnal said “such venomous creatures were in the Chief Minister’s house and not elsewhere”.

“Mr. Vijayendra is running the government virtually. MLA s who have met him complain that they have to stand before him as there is no second chair in his chamber. They are all keeping quiet as they are after power. I am not after power. I am not speaking against the Chief Minister or his family just because I have not been made a Minister. Agitating against injustice is in my nature,” he said.

“I am a follower of Prime Minister Narendra Modi who is against nepotism, and of Atal Behari Vajpayee who was against corruption all his life. I am following in their footsteps. The party cannot take any action against me as I have not violated any party discipline. Only the media is worried about reports of a notice issued to me and its implications. Some TV channels have claimed that the notice gave me a big shock. I am not shocked in anyway. In fact, I have not got any notice till now.”

“When wewere building the party in Vijayapura or other parts of the State,these relatives of the Chief Minister such as Mr Vijayendra were nowhere to be seen. When Mr. Yediyurappa toured Vijayapura in the past, I paid for his fuel expenses. We have built the party but the Chief Minister’s family members are enjoying the power,” he said.

“Mr. Yediyurappa had announced in the campaign for the Kalaburagi byelection that he would ensure that Adi Banajiga and Panchamasali communities would be recategorised as 2A. But he has forgotten his promise. If he announces that this will be done on a fixed date, I will felicitate him,” Mr. Yatnal said. He alleged that the Chief Minister had only given a letter to the Backward Classes Commission and not issued it a Government Order, which was meaningless.

Mr. Yatnal alleged that Mr. Vijayendra and Murugesh Nirani, Minister, are behind a ‘conspiracy’ to deny reservation benefits to Panchamsalis. “Mr Nirani was the person who started the agitation for the 2A reservation quota. But he has stepped away after becoming a Minister.”

According to Mr. Yatnal, the State government should accept the demand of Kuruba community to include it under Scheduled Tribes and to double the ST quota. The quota for SC should be increased to 18 per cent.

He said that the district police had restored his security cover after evaluating the threat perception.