<p>Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/tags/d-k-shivakumar">D K Shivakumar</a> on Monday sought an investigation by the Income Tax department into BJP leader Basanagouda Patil Yatnal’s <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/india/karnataka/great-leader-ready-with-rs-1-000-cr-to-become-cm-yatnal-3212220">sensational claim</a> that Rs 1,000 crore had been collected to “topple the Congress government.”</p><p>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.”</p>.‘Great leader’ ready with Rs 1,000 cr to become Karnataka CM: BJP's Yatnal. <p>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.</p><p>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.” </p><p>Sensing a “conspiracy” to bring down the government, Shivakumar said the matter had been brought to the attention of the Congress high command.</p><p>“We will discuss this with our legal team as well,” the KPCC chief said. </p><p>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.”</p><p>In response, Yatnal taunted Priyank, asking him to give some work to the fact-checking team by handing over his ‘X’ handle to them.</p><p>He asked the minister to first take a look at the predicament of the Congress government.</p>
<p>Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/tags/d-k-shivakumar">D K Shivakumar</a> on Monday sought an investigation by the Income Tax department into BJP leader Basanagouda Patil Yatnal’s <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/india/karnataka/great-leader-ready-with-rs-1-000-cr-to-become-cm-yatnal-3212220">sensational claim</a> that Rs 1,000 crore had been collected to “topple the Congress government.”</p><p>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.”</p>.‘Great leader’ ready with Rs 1,000 cr to become Karnataka CM: BJP's Yatnal. <p>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.</p><p>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.” </p><p>Sensing a “conspiracy” to bring down the government, Shivakumar said the matter had been brought to the attention of the Congress high command.</p><p>“We will discuss this with our legal team as well,” the KPCC chief said. </p><p>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.”</p><p>In response, Yatnal taunted Priyank, asking him to give some work to the fact-checking team by handing over his ‘X’ handle to them.</p><p>He asked the minister to first take a look at the predicament of the Congress government.</p>