BJP leader Basavanagowda Patil Yatnal; Karnataka DyCM D K Shivakumar.
Credit: DH Photos
Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Monday sought an investigation by the Income Tax department into BJP leader Basanagouda Patil Yatnal’s sensational claim that Rs 1,000 crore had been collected to “topple the Congress government.”
While speaking in Davangere on Sunday, Yatnal had said: “Some people with chief ministerial ambitions have kept Rs 1,000 crore ready. We are not for toppling the government. We must come back to power with a majority in an election. BJP’s situation came to this after those 17 members (turncoats from Congress and JD-S) joined the party. So, there is no question of Operation (Kamala) now.”
These statements by Yatnal, a vocal critic of former chief minister B S Yediyurappa and his son B Y Vijayendra, were widely interpreted as referring to BJP leaders. While he has often publicly trained his guns at the father-son duo, the Bijapur city MLA clarified on Monday that he was actually referring to Congressmen keen on ousting Siddaramaiah.
Speaking at a press conference in Bengaluru, Shivakumar said: “It’s a shocking revelation to the entire country. It comes from Yatnal, a sitting BJP MLA and a former union minister. Also, a group of BJP leaders were with him at the press conference where he made this statement. The Congress will seek investigation into this.”
Sensing a “conspiracy” to bring down the government, Shivakumar said the matter had been brought to the attention of the Congress high command.
“We will discuss this with our legal team as well,” the KPCC chief said.
Taking to X, Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Minister Priyank Kharge indirectly referred to Yatnal, saying: “According to a BJP MLA, that party’s ‘thousand crore sardars’ are ready to topple the Congress government. The Modi-Shah duo intends to clean up the opposition governments in the country and the “corrupt” in Karnataka are nurturing their dreams.”
In response, Yatnal taunted Priyank, asking him to give some work to the fact-checking team by handing over his ‘X’ handle to them.
He asked the minister to first take a look at the predicament of the Congress government.