Bengaluru, December 27, 2023 – In a major blow to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Karnataka, senior MLA Basangouda Patil Yatnal leveled serious accusations of irregularities amounting to Rs 40,000 crore in Covid-related procurement during the BJP’s rule in the state. The outspoken MLA also claimed that the Congress government attempted to conceal the alleged scam.
Known for his staunch Hindutva stance, Yatnal, a vocal critic of BJP Parliamentary Board member BS Yediyurappa, alleged that the former chief minister had authorized the procurement of face masks at an exorbitant cost, purchasing masks worth Rs 45 for Rs 485 during his tenure.
Yatnal raised concerns about the government’s decision to rent ten thousand beds in Bengaluru, suggesting that opting for new beds could have doubled the available capacity. He asserted, “If they had procured new beds instead, they would have got twice the number of beds.”
All pertinent documents related to the alleged irregularities, according to Yatnal, are in possession of the Public Accounts Committee. He revealed that he was approached to lead the committee during the Siddaramaiah government but claimed, “I told them that I would expose everything, and they did not appoint me.” Instead, the committee was headed by former minister C C Patil, as per Yatnal’s statement to the press.
These allegations form part of Yatnal’s ongoing criticism of Yediyurappa, who recently regained control of the state BJP unit, securing the appointment of his son, MLA BY Vijayendra, as its president. The dominance of Yediyurappa’s camp in the new party unit and the appointment of opposition leader R Ashok from the same faction have fueled tensions within the BJP.
The issue of corruption during the Covid pandemic was a central theme for the Congress ahead of the May polls. In response, a commission of inquiry, headed by Justice Michael D’Cunha, was established in August to investigate the alleged irregularities. The unfolding developments are likely to intensify political tensions in the state.
