Published Sep 05, 2024 | 9:00 AM ⚊ Updated Sep 05, 2024 | 9:00 AM
BJP leaders supported MLA Basanagouda Patil Yatnal's protest against Karnataka State Pollution Control Board in Bengaluru on 27 August. (Supplied)
The ongoing tussle between BJP’s Bijapur City MLA Basanagouda Patil Yatnal and Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB) seems to have united the saffron party plagued by factions.
Infamous for shooting his mouth indiscriminately, Yatnal has been at loggerheads with the KSPCB after the latter reportedly denied the Siddhasiri Ethanol and Power (SEP) factory permission to resume operations. The factory is run by Siddhasiri Souharda Sahakari Ltd, a cooperative bank, whose chairperson is Yatnal.
The MLA launched a protest against the KSPCB, alleging that it was deliberately denying SEP permission to resume operations at Chincholi taluka in the Kalaburagi district, despite a favourable high court order.
KSPCB, however, claimed that Yatnal’s sugar factory had not taken the necessary environmental clearance and violated other norms. Hence, it ordered the closure of the factory after putting it on notice.
Had it just been a case of a rich MLA protesting against the pollution control board, it wouldn’t make for an interesting story. This tug of war has now presented an opportunity to bring the warring factions of BJP together.
When Yatnal had launched a protest against the KPSCB at its Bengaluru office on 27 August, the BJP’s Karnataka unit leaders, including Opposition Leader R Ashoka to former chief minister Basavaraj Bommai came in his support. They backed Yatnal despite the MLA targetting them politically on several occasions.
Yatnal had earlier found fault with the BJP’s Mysuru Chalo Padayatra led by its state president BY Vijayendra demanding the resignation of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah in the alleged MUDA scam. He claimed that the yatra was a ploy by Vijayendra and Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar to oust Siddaramaiah.
The MLA also convened a meeting with party leaders to organise a padayatra against the alleged ₹187 crore Valmiki scam.
Yatnal had also gone to the extent of terming former chief minister BS Yediyurappa and his son and MLA BY Vijayendra ‘blackmailers’. He alleged Vijayendra had been blackmailing several leaders using obscene CDs.
Among the BJP leaders who backed Yatnal in his fight was former Karnataka chief minister BS Yediyurappa. The support came despite months of offensive tirade against him and his kin by Yatnal.
After the KSPCB issued the closure notice to SEP, Yatnal moved the high court insisting that his factory had received clearance of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change’s (MoEF & CC) expert appraisal committee to commence operations in November 2023. The clearance, he contended, was issued despite the factory not having ‘Consent for Operations’ from the state pollution board.
The KSPCB issued the notice saying the factory lacked the ‘Consent for Operations’ and it had violated several norms.
The high court observed that under the Environment Impact Assessment Notification, 2006, the KSPCB’s not objecting to the operations within 45 days of MoEF & CC approval implied automatic clearance for the factory.
“Chincholi is a backward taluk in Karnataka. It is an Assembly constituency with majority voters being Dalits. Former Union Minister P Chindambaram had proposed a sugar factory there,” Yatnal told reporters in Bengaluru on 27 August.
ಕಬ್ಬು ಬೆಳೆವ ರೈತರಿಗೆ ಜೀವನಾಡಿಯಾಗಿರುವ, ನೂರಾರು ಕಾರ್ಮಿಕರಿಗೆ ಉದ್ಯೋಗ ನೀಡುವ ಮೂಲಕ ರಾಜ್ಯದ ಅತ್ಯಂತ ಹಿಂದುಳಿದ ಚಿಂಚೋಳಿ ಮತ ಕ್ಷೇತ್ರದಲ್ಲಿ ನಾವು ಪ್ರಾರಂಭಿಸುವ ಸಿದ್ಧಸಿರಿ ಶುಗರ್ಸ್ ಅಂಡ್ ಎಥನಾಲ್ ಪ್ರೈವೇಟ್ ಲಿಮಿಟೆಡ್ (ಸಕ್ಕರೆ ಕಾರ್ಖಾನೆಗೆ) ಸರ್ಕಾರ ಕ್ಷುಲ್ಲಕ, ರಾಜಕೀಯ ಕಾರಣಗಳಿಗೆ ಅನುಮತಿ ಹಿಂಪಡೆದು ಇದರಿಂದ ಕಬ್ಬು ಬೆಳೆಯುವ… pic.twitter.com/2uFxDBJMEg
— Basanagouda R Patil (Yatnal) (@BasanagoudaBJP) August 28, 2024
The MLA said he participated in the tendering process after no one came forward despite tenders being floated to take over the factory. “On the request of farmers, I invested ₹38 crore,” he said.
“The KSPCB had caused a lot of trouble initially. Finally, the court gave a clear order. The court reprimanded the government and ruled in our favour. Despite the court’s order, the KSPCB is not allowing to open the factory,” he said there were several irregularities in the KSPCB.
According to reports, the KSPCB has approached the Supreme Court challenging the high court’s order, saying that the factory had misled the court.
MLA Yatnal and KSPCB officials did not respond to South First‘s repeated requests for comments.
Following Yatnal’s showdown with the KSPCB, the state BJP leaders rallied in support of the MLA. The party would hold reconciliatory talks with Yatnal, despite its high command serving four show-cause notices on him in the past five years.
BJP leaders said they backed Yatnal since he was a party member and his move was against the poor administration of the government, and the harassment of party leaders.
However, a few leaders pointed out that the support was also a message to the MLA that the party would stand by him irrespective of his criticisms against the leadership.
“The party is supporting Yatnal because he is not only a senior leader but also one of our party MLAs. It is the responsibility of the party to extend support to its legislators whenever they need it,” a senior MLC told South First, requesting anonymity.
“This is a clear message that the party stands by him. The party is aware of Yatnal’s remarks, targeting several senior leaders. The party’s central disciplinary committee has also issued show-cause notices to him over his harsh comments,” he said.
“There will be differences in all political parties. The state leadership will hold talks with him soon on all the issues. The party will give him time to rectify the mistakes and work with the other leaders to strengthen the party,” the MLC added.
An MLA, who also requested anonymity, told South First that there was no difference within the party. “The party high command will resolve any dissent. We are working as one team,” he stated.
Meanwhile, the BJP’s internal politics have come under scrutiny with analysts pointing at the party striking a delicate balance between factional loyalty and political strategy.
Azim Premji University Professor and Political Analyst Narayana A told South First that the support for Yatnal stemmed from a strategic desire to challenge the government.
“The party sees an opportunity to attack the government and will not let it go. Internal issues between the party and Yatnal will be resolved separately, as the larger goal takes precedence,” he added.
Regarding the BJP high command’s inaction against Yatnal, Narayana opined that the show-cause notices issued should be considered separately. “The party’s response will depend on its internal dynamics with Yatnal.”
“There’s no clear directive for Yatnal to toe the party line. It appears that he has backing from within the party. There are unseen layers at play,” he added.
(Edited by Majnu Babu).
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