Basanagouda Patil Yatnal, Vijayapura MLA who has gone hammer and tongs on the Chief Minister after Cabinet expansion, alleged that B.S. Yediyurappa had ordered the withdrawal of his special police security cover owing to “personal vendetta”.
Anupam Agarwal, Superintendent of Police, told reporters that Mr. Yatnal continued to enjoy the routine security cover given to legislators. However, special features such as escort vehicle service had been stopped.
Mr. Yatnal has written to the Chief Minister condemning this act and warning that if any thing happened to him, the government would be responsible. “I know that you have asked officers to withdraw my security cover as I have begun to criticise your actions,” he said, calling it “revenge politics”.
Mr. Yatnal said that he had been given special security by the district police following intelligence inputs that some “anti-Hindu and fascist” forces were planning to attack him. “That was because I have been at the forefront of Hindutva agitations. But now you have withdrawn my special security cover. However, my Hinduva agitations will not stop just because I no longer enjoy special security cover,” he said in the letter. “If anything untoward happens to me or any inconvenience is caused to me, you and your government will be responsible for it. I condemn your despicable style of working and revenge politics,” he said.
Meanwhile, Ramesh Jigajinagi, MP and former minister, said he had alerted Mr Yediyurappa of the difficult ways of Mr Yatnal long ago. I had advised Mr Yediyurappa not to include Mr Yatnal into the BJP. But he did not listen to me. Now, Mr Yatnal has been causing such inconvenience to Mr Yediyurappa . It is unfortunate, the MP said.
