Bijapur MLA Yatnal had received a show cause notice on 1 December, 2024, but it was postponed due to other pressing issues. Previous notices were issued in February 2021 for attacking BS Yediyurappa and in October 2019 for criticising Modi.
Published Feb 10, 2025 | 8:13 PM ⚊ Updated Feb 10, 2025 | 8:13 PM
BJP issues show cause notice to Bijapur MLA Basanagouda Patil Yatnal over disciplinary violations(supplied)
Synopsis: The BJP’s Central Disciplinary Committee (CDC) has issued a show cause notice to Bijapur MLA Basanagouda Patil Yatnal, citing his continued violation of party discipline. Despite prior assurances, Yatnal’s actions persist. Previous notices were issued in December 2024, February 2021, and October 2019 for various breaches, including attacks on party leaders and controversial statements
The BJP’s Central Disciplinary Committee (CDC) has issued a show cause notice to Bijapur City MLA Basanagouda Patil Yatnal, demanding an explanation for his ongoing actions that violate party discipline.
The notice comes at a time Yatnal has been engaging in public tirade against Karnataka BJP state unit chief BY Vijayendra. In a bid to oust Vijayendra from the top post, Yatnal has been huddling with party colleagues and making trips to Delhi. His public statements, however, have come as embarrassment to the party.
The show cause notice, signed by Om Pathak, Member Secretary of the CDC, gives Yatnal 72 hours to respond. The committee has pointed out that despite previous assurances from Yatnal regarding good behavior, he continues to flout party rules.
Yatnal had been previously issued a show cause notice on 1 December, 2024, with a 10-day deadline to reply, but the matter was postponed as state leaders focused on other pressing issues involving two other MLAs.
This latest notice follows a series of similar disciplinary actions. In February 2021, the BJP high command had issued a notice to Yatnal regarding his repeated attacks on then-Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa.
Yatnal was given 15 days to respond. Similarly, in October 2019, a show cause notice was sent to Yatnal for his tweet against Prime Minister Narendra Modi over flood relief, citing it as a serious breach of party discipline.
In late November 2024, a faction led by Yatnal organised a separate rally in Bidar against the Waqf properties issue. The rally, conducted under the BJP banner, was met with opposition from local BJP leaders, prompting the Karnataka unit to distance itself from the event.
In response, the state party leadership formed three teams to assess the Waqf issue in rural areas, urging Yatnal to align with the official party position.
However, Yatnal ignored these requests and instead intensified his criticism of former CM BS Yediyurappa and his son, Vijayendra, accusing them of political dealings with the Congress.
In August 2024, Basanagouda Patil Yatnal escalated his attacks on the Yediyurappa family, targeting BJP veteran BS Yediyurappa’s son, Vijayendra. Yatnal accused Vijayendra of secretly conspiring with Congress leader DK Shivakumar to orchestrate the Mysuru Chalo padayatra, suggesting it was politically motivated to undermine Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.
Yatnal also stirred controversy by linking Vijayendra to a scandal involving pen drives containing explicit videos of former MP Prajwal Revanna, who is facing sexual assault charges. Yatnal alleged that these pen drives were distributed in Hassan on Vijayendra’s orders, calling it a form of blackmail aimed at BJP legislators.
The senior BJP legislator’s unrelenting criticism has created turmoil within the party, especially as he openly dared the high command to take action against Vijayendra and the Yediyurappa family. “If he has the courage, let him reply to me,” Yatnal challenged Vijayendra, further accusing him and Shivakumar of a political conspiracy to destabilize the leadership. Yatnal demanded answers from both leaders, intensifying his standoff with the BJP leadership.
(Edited by Ananya Rao)
