Karnataka BJP MLA, Who Questioned PM Modi Over Flood-Relief, Slapped With Show Cause Notice

The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party on Friday slapped its own MLA from Vijayapura, Basanagouda Patil Yatnal, with a show-cause notice for raising his voice against Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the release of flood-relief package for the southern state. The BJP has given Yatnal 10 days time to explain his remarks against the prime minister.

"Your intent, utterances and allegations against the party and its leaders constitute a serious breach of the partydiscipline as defined in the constitution and rules of the Bharatiya Janata Party," BJP's Central Disciplinary Committee member-secretary Om Pathak said in the notice.

In the notice, Pathak said that the party has taken note of Yatnal's public interviews given between October 1 and 3, and found out that he insulted and denigrated the "herculean efforts" being made by the BJP to secure flood relief for Karnataka.

"(You) Threatened the party and its leaders by suggesting to the people of Karnataka and inciting them to teach the party leaders a lesson by thrashing them, thus, calling for physical violence and causing unrest among people by spreading lies," the notice read.

It also said he was spreading lies against the party leadership. Continuing his tirade against the union ministers and MPs from Karnataka over "failure" to get Central grants for flood-hit north Karnataka, Yatnal on Thursday said hewould meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi and take up thematter.

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"I will write to the Prime Minister today it self and seek an appointment with him to brief him about the flood situation, Patil had told reporters in Vijayapura. He had said other leaders from North Karnataka can join him if they wish, and asked the union ministers to attend to their work and meet the prime minister.

"Go and do your job and meet the Prime Minister. You all are union ministers.Why are you sitting in Hubballi and Bengaluru? Go to Delhi and get Rs 10,000 crore from theCentre, Yatnal said.

A former union minister, Yatnal has been vocal against the BJP leadership, including Union Ministers and MPs from Karnataka, for the past few days over getting Central grants to carry out relief works in North Karnataka.

On Tuesday, he had said that the Prime Minister tweeting concern for Bihar flood victims and not with those affected in Karnataka has made people feel he did not care about the state as there were no immediate polls there.

The BJP government in Karnataka has come under attack from opposition Congress and the JD(S) for its failure to get Central aid despite 'unprecedented' floods in August ravaged several parts of the states.

As many as 103 taluks in 22 districts were affected due to the floods in August that left over 80 people dead, 1.5 lakh houses damaged and over five lakh hectares of farm lands completely inundated.

(With inputs from PTI)