In an indication of his displeasure over Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa’s way of functioning, BJP MLA and former Union Minister Basanagouda Patil Yatnal on Thursday urged the Chief Minister to convene a meeting of the BJP legislature party so that legislators could express their problems openly.
“We are suffering from several problems such as lack of funds and slow pace of development works. The Chief Minister issued a letter in response to my letter, asking officials to release ₹23 crore for Vijayapura city development. But they have not released a single rupee till now. We need to discuss such things with the Chief Minister,” he told presspersons in Vijayapura on Thursday.
“But we don’t have proper access to the Chief Minister. Staff at the CM’s home office discourage MLAs from meeting Yediyurappa, saying he is taking rest. When the Chief Minister holds division-level meetings with legislators, it is difficult to speak freely and openly as it is a small group. But if a legislature party meeting is called, then all of us can voice our opinions freely as it is a group of 117 of our own party members,” he said.
Replying to a query, he said he had not gone to Bengaluru to meet the Chief Minister in the past six months. “I have not set foot in his office and much less in his home office,” he said. “Since the Chief Minister refused us funds, I have stopped following up the matter with him.”
Mr. Yatnal welcomed the prohibition on public New Year celebrations on account of the new strain of the coronavirus. “Anyway, it is not new year as per Indian culture. Ugadi is our new year. This western New Year celebration is only for drinking, eating and merrymaking. That has caused several accidents in the past. I congratulate the Chief Minister on this bold decision,” he said.
