Karnataka BJP issues notices to 11 party men for 'anti-party activities' and 'causing embarrassment'

The decision was taken at a meeting of BJP leaders attended by state party president Nalin Kumar Kateel and former chief minister Yediyurappa.

An embattled BJP huddled on Friday asked rabble-rousers to stop “embarrassing” the party by making public statements attacking their colleagues following the Assembly poll debacle.

The BJP roped in its veteran B S Yediyurappa to hold talks with 11 leaders who went public with their grouses.

“No one should issue statements that would embarrass the party. We talked to them. We asked them to be careful, failing which it was decided to take appropriate action,” Yediyurappa said.

Basanagouda Patil Yatnal, AS Patil (Nadahalli), Veeranna Charantimath, Pratap Simha, Thammesh Gowda, S Muniraju, Ramesh Jigajinagi, MP Renukacharya, Murugesh Nirani, Prabhu Chavan and Ishwar Singh Thakur were summoned by the party after they, on various occasions, spoke out on the reasons for the BJP’s defeat.

The BJP’s internal feuds and factionalism spilled out in the open after the saffron party suffered a heavy defeat in the Karnataka Assembly election, managing to win 66 seats against the Congress’ 135.

Also Read | Karnataka BJP leaders have been asked to adhere to party discipline: Nalin Kumar Kateel

Of the 11 who were called for talks, five leaders did not show up—Nirani, Chavan, Jigajinagi, Thakur and Renukacharya. “The party has authorised Yediyurappa to seek an explanation from the five leaders who skipped the meeting,” BJP general secretary N Ravi Kumar said.

Yatnal, Charantimath, Simha, Muniraju, Gowda and Patil attended the meeting and explained themselves saying they had no intention of embarrassing the party.

Renukacharya, who did not attend the meet, told reporters that he was issued a show-cause notice for speaking facts. “I didn’t speak against the party. I was only being the voice of party workers,” he said.

The BJP has also decided to initiate disciplinary action against leaders who indulged in “anti-party activities” during the Assembly election, state president of the saffron party Nalin Kumar Kateel said. “We spoke one-to-one with those who made embarrassing statements. We told them clearly not to speak like that henceforth,” he said, adding that notices had been issued to 11 leaders.

Union Minister Pralhad Joshi, former CM Basavaraj Bommai, BJP national general secretary C T Ravi and BJP general secretary (organisation) Rajesh G V attended the meeting. The leaders also discussed strategies to counter the Congress government in the upcoming legislature session, especially over its five guarantees.

"On July 4, in front of the Gandhi statue at Vidhana Soudha, hundreds of BJP workers will stage a protest," Yediyurappa said. "Inside the Assembly, our MLAs will fight."