BELAGAVI:
BJP National General Secretary Arun Singh on Friday said the party has ”zero faith” in its senior legislator and former union minister Basangouda Patil Yatnal publicly criticising Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa and his administration and repeatedly saying he would be changed.
Singh, responding to a question from reporters here on speculations about the change of CM after the bypolls, said “it’s only in your dream.”
Singh, in-charge of Karnataka, is in the city to campaign for the party candidate for Belgaum Lok Sabha seat, scheduled for April 17. Requesting reporters not to ask him questions on Yatnal, Singh said he doesn’t want to popularise the person.
“…I don’t want to take his name…I have told you seven to eight times. You want to make him popular by talking about him? When we speak about someone, that person will get popular,” he said in response to a question.
Asked about Yatnal’s repeated remarks that the CM will be changed in the state, “Maybe the media has faith in him (Yatnal), but the BJP does not have even zero per cent faith in him. We don’t have any faith in the person you are mentioning.” Setting a new date, Yatnal on Wednesday had said Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa will be replaced any time after May 2.
To a question on disciplinary action against Yatnal, Singh said the party’s disciplinary committee will have to take a decision. “…he has hurt workers and has caused damage to the party,” he said.
The Bijapur city MLA was earlier slapped with a show- cause notice by the party for repeatedly criticising Yediyurappa and his government. He had even accused Yediyurappa, his son and state vice president B Y Vijayendra and other family members of corruption.
Asked why action against Yatnal was pending for so long, Singh said there is a strategy and plans, which the party does not want to discuss it in front of the media “…there may be reasons behind it (delay), if we remove he will be free,” Singh said. PTI
