Yatnal slams Vijayendra’s bid to take credit of HC Valmiki verdict

Expelled BJP MLA Basanagouda Patil Yatnal on Thursday slammed party state chief BY Vijayendra for taking credit for the Karnataka high court's order directing a CBI probe into the Valmiki Corporation case, despite having no connection to the legal petition or its proceedings.

- HT Correspondent

The HC observed, in an interim order, that the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has discovered the involvement of influential ministers and senior officials in the alleged large-scale misappropriation of funds from the Karnataka Maharshi Valmiki Scheduled Tribes Development Corporation. Following this, Vijayendra termed it asa significant victory for the BJP.

In response to Vijayendra’s comment, Yatnal said the writ petition, based on which the high court passed the order, was filed by him along with other BJP leaders Aravind Limbavali, Ramesh Jarkiholi and Kumar Bangarappa and not Vijayendra. “It is ridiculous and tragic that Vijayendra, who once conspired to suppress our padayatra (march) against the scam, is now calling the high court's verdict the result of his ‘organised struggle’,” Yatnal said in a statement.

“Vijayendra now owes an explanation to BJP workers and to the people of Karnataka. What exactly does he mean by ‘organised struggle’,” he said.

Yatnal alleged that when he was in the BJP and had planned a protest and ‘padayatra’ against the scam, it was Vijayendra who sabotaged the initiative.

“He misled central leaders with false complaints to get our padayatra cancelled. Today, it is absurd that the same person is celebrating the outcome of a petition he had no hand in,” Yatnal said.