BIJAPUR; 15 Jan: Former Minister and Leader of the Opposition in Council, S. R. Patil has demanded an independent judicial investigation to unearth the truth about the allegations that a few MLAs paid huge quantum of money to CM B. S. Yediyurappa to become Minister in the recent Cabinet expansion.
Addressing media persons on Friday, he said that it is beyond his belief that some MLAs could offer money and some blackmail the CM to get the place in the State Cabinet.
Demanding a judicial probe into the allegations made by a section of BJP leaders that few of the elected members blackmailed with a secret CD to Chief Minister and gave a huge money to become a minister, Patil said that it is not the Congress that is making such serious allegations.
“ Let me make it amply clear that it is not the Congress but the BJP leaders who are making the allegations on the newly appointed ministers. The government should launch a judicial investigation headed by a High Court judge to know the truth behind the cabinet expansion”, urged the opposition party leader of the upper house.
Responding to the statement of BJP MLA Basanagouda Patil Yatnal, who said, “Congress is doing an adjustment politics with CM B S Yediyurappa, Patil said that, “There is no place for adjustment politics in the grand-old party. It is a baseless allegation. Congress works on certain ideologies and principles. Under the leadership of KPCC president D K Shivakumar the party is making sincere efforts to take-on the ruling party whenever the opportunity is available. Congress has no history of doing adjustment politics.”
Denying the allegation that the top leaders in the Congress are blackmailing the Chief Minister to get the funds for their constituency, Patil pointed that, “It is far from the truth. One of the BJP leaders claimed that the CD is with the couple of new ministers, who used to get into the cabinet, then where is the question of us blackmailing the CM,” he added, “The Congress MLAs are hardly getting any funds after BJP came to power. The government is giving ample funds only to those 17 legislators that migrated from Congress and JD(S) to bring back BJP at the helm of affairs in the state. Even the loyal BJP legislators are grappling to get the enough funds to their constituency to take up the development works,” stated S R Patil.
Lashing out at the Union Government, Patil said that, “The government is playing with the lives of farmers and APMC mandis by making amendments to the farm laws. Over 60 farmers have already lost their lives in the two-month long protest in Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and New Delhi. All the three new farm laws should be repealed for the benefit of farmers. The Congress will fight until farmers get the justice and we are with the farmers in this agitation,” reiterated KLC opposition party leader Patil.
On January 20 – the state Congress is holding a mega rally in Bengaluru, where thousands of farmers across the state will take part and march from Freedom park to Raj Bhavan seeking justice to the farmers. Thereafter a program will be held where farmers will be educated about the new farm laws, stated Patil.
