BJP serves show cause notice to MLA Basanagouda Patil Yatnal over remarks against state party leadership

Bengaluru: The BJP's central disciplinary committee has issued a show-cause notice to firebrand lawmaker Basanagouda Patil Yatnal for "defiance" and hurling "false and veiled" allegations against the party's state-level leadership, especially Karnataka president BY Vijayendra.

The show-cause notice, issued by the party's central disciplinary committee member-secretary Om Pathak, asks Yatnal to respond within 10 days, failing which "it may proceed to take a final view on the matter".

Yatnal received the notice more than two weeks after his fresh spat with Vijayendra, whose leadership the Bijapur City MLA has publicly questioned. A known critic of four-time chief minister BS Yediyurappa (Vijayendra's father), Yatnal defied the party's official plan by launching his own agitation on the Waqf land controversy.

"Your continuing tirade against the state-level party leadership and your defiance of party directives and making public pronouncements and stance in contravention of party's official stand on all matters of political and public importance has been reported in media as well as by different party forums (sic)," the notice stated.

This is not the first time Yatnal has received a show-cause notice.

"It is also a matter of great concern that despite having been issued show-cause notice several times in the past and your assurances of good conduct, the acts of indiscipline continue unabated," the notice read, adding that the central disciplinary committee had taken "a lenient view" on his Yatnal's past explanations "given your seniority and long standing in the party".

The notice further charged Yatnal of making "false and veiled" allegations against party leaders. This, coupled with defiance, accounts for "serious breach of party discipline", it stated.

Yatnal, Ramesh Jarkiholi, Arvind Limbavali, Kumar Bangarappa and BJP leaders have taken out a month-long campaign over the Waqf issue.

In a statement on X (formerly Twitter), Yatnal said he would respond to the party's notice "while also presenting the facts regarding the current state of the BJP in Karnataka".

Yatnal maintained that his "commitment to the fight for Hindutva, opposition to corruption, Waqf-related issues, and dynasty politics will remain unwavering".