Karnataka: CD trouble brews in BJP as Yediyurappa inducts 7 new Cabinet ministers; Cong demands probe
Yatnal alleged that a couple of the legislators who were given ministerial berths on Wednesday blackmailed the Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa with a CD.
FollowBengaluru: Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa inducted seven new ministers into the Karnataka cabinet, however, it has led to another political controversy brewing after BJP legislators expressed serious reservations about unelected MLCs being made ministers and non-representation of certain regions in the Cabinet.
Vijayapura City MLA Basanagouda Patil Yatnal accused the CM of yielding to blackmail and not considering honesty and sincerity while naming the new cabinet inductees.
Yatnal alleged that a couple of the legislators who were given ministerial berths on Wednesday blackmailed the Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa with a CD.
The Opposition have asked for an explanation with KPCC President DK Shivakumar demanding a probe into the allegations.
KPCC president D K Shivakumar took a dig at the saffron party, saying that allegations by its legislators showed that BJP was ‘Blackmailers Janata Party’.
Speaking to reporters after Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa announced the induction of 7 new members to the Karnataka cabinet, Basanagouda Yatnal said, “CM BS Yediyurappa has made ministers those who have blackmailed him using CDs for the last three months. Three people, one political secretary and two (sitting) ministers, were blackmailing with some of his CDs One, who took oath as minister today, paid a sum to Vijayendra (Yediyurappa’s son) apart from using his CDs to blackmail him.”
Meanwhile, Yediyurappa assumed a combative tone against claims by a section of BJP MLAs over Cabinet expansion, asking them to take their grouses to the party high command in Delhi.
Yediyurappa dismissed the allegations as baseless. “Let them collect information and go complain in Delhi. But don’t talk lightly of the government here and damage the image of the party,” he warned.
The BJP high command will decide what is right and what is wrong, the CM said. “There was nothing the BJP leadership was not aware of. Issuing such statements and vitiating the (political) atmosphere... will not be tolerated,” he added.
