Bengaluru, Feb 29: A Lingayat seer on Friday threatened to get 10 BJP MLAs to quit if Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa does not make MLA Dattatreya Patil Revoor a minister soon.
"If Yediyurappa does not make BJP's Gulbarga South MLA Dattatreya Patil Revoor a minister, I will get 10 ruling party legislators resign and reduce the government to a minority, forcing the Chief Minister to resign," said Srishaila Saranga mutt seer Deshikendra Swami at a meeting in Kalaburagi on Friday.
Addressing a gathering of the Lingayat community, to which Revoor belongs, the seer said although he wanted Yediyurappa to complete the remaining 3-year term in office and the BJP to return to power after the next elections, it would be difficult for Yediyurappa to continue if Revoor is not made a minister.
"Yediyurappa will be in office for the next three years if he makes Revoor minister. If not, I will ask him (latter) also to resign, as does not need to be in politics anymore because he has a house, many acres of agricultural land and is very rich," the seer told the gathering in Kannada.
In his nomination to contest in the May 2018 assembly elections, Revoor (37) declared in an affidavit Rs 17-crore assets, including immovable properties.
Wishing Yediyurappa to remain in office for the next three years and return as Chief Minister, the seer said if Yediyurappa is forced to quit, then the Lingayat community would not get an opportunity to have its leader as Chief Minister again for at least 30 years.
Yediyurappa, whose constituency is Shikaripura in Shivamogga district, is considered the tallest Lingayat leader of the politically powerful community, which accounts for 18% of the 6.5-crore state's population.
Though a dozen BJP legislators won from the erstwhile Hyderabad-Karnataka region in the May 2018 Assembly elections, only Prabhu Chauhan from the adjacent Bidar district was made minister for animal husbandry.
The Saranga mutt seer’s threat comes a month after Veerashaiva Lingayat Panchamasali seer Swami Vachananda, dared Yediyurappa to make 3 of the community legislators ministers ahead of the second cabinet expansion on February 6.
At a Lingayat gathering in the state's Davengere district on January 15, Vachananda told Yediyurappa to make party's Bilgi legislator Murgesh Nirani Minister, failing which the community would withdraw its support to the ruling party.
Hiryur is about 300km northwest of the southern state's capital Bengaluru.
Ticking off the young seer, a defiant Yediyurappa, however, threatened to walk out of the meeting if he was blackmailed for making Lingayat MLAs ministers.
"You cannot threaten me saying your sub-sect (Veera Shaiva) community would not support the BJP in the next assembly or Lok Saba elections, due in 2023 and 2024," retorted Yediyurappa, reasserting his status as the community's strongman in the state.
In the second cabinet expansion, only 10 newly elected legislators who defected from the Congress and the Janata Dal-Secular (JD-S) were made ministers, leaving 6 posts vacant in the 34-member ministry.
In the first cabinet expansion on August 20, 2019, 17 party legislators were made ministers. Nirani and others, who were present on the dais, pacified Yediyurappa to take his seat and requested the seer to avoid making political speech on such occasions.
"The chief minister threatened to resign than succumb to pressures from religious or community followers," a party official told media.
Comments
Its all like a Drama.... nee Atta haage maadu.. naaa hodeda haage maduttene...
If you have real concern about Mangalore Minority, Please please please arrest him.. your own government your own administration.
Hello Kodichal bhai, why sou moto case ? Let the people know that You or your Congressmen doesn't have guts to register a case against him. Wear Bangles and sit at home, your prepoll planned press conference will not give any mileage. We all know you guys want bhatta or any other card to use it for your election purpose. Know one is dependent on Karnataka congress government. Also tell ministers in DK to wear saree and sit at home. Don't worry about Bhatta, we know how to deal with him and out to prevent communal harmony.
Haji Ibrahim Bhai.
Two years back same bhatta barked at Gurupura against Muslims, the same congress party is ruling karnataka... Until now no any action taken against him.
Youth congRSS president Mithun Rai shouted at Gurupura, in future if bhatta going to speak anywhere he will take hindu youngsters of congRSS to stop his speech. Where is now this mithun?
You congRSS people can fool all the muslims one time, not all the time.
We now understand what is congRSS, and what is BJP.
Stop drama.... arrest bhatta now and put him behind jail for long time. then only we can understand original congress is ruling karnataka.
dont give any press conference.
No use of making bow, bow ...... in the public....Bhatta is ready with Anticipatory bill.... Still you trust xxxxxx cong ....
Shame on you kodichal.
Your own party ruling the karnataka.
Don't do drama in front of the people. There is no need to announce openly to arrest Batta. Order police to arrest him and put into cell.
What a drama?? you congress people are best for drama only, you people are in power and you people begging with police, shame on you congress.. Congress cheating people only with statement. Muslims also blindly supporting these people. what a tragedy.
These useless leaders are joking their selves! When the people gave them power why to fear RSS??? Or Is RSS controlling Congress Leaders??? Next time please don't come to ask for vote by showing RSS fear!!! People of Dk understood the Reality.
Your own Siddramulla Khan is ruling Karnataka. prior to last election he had promised to take action against Bhat. now his partymen want advice from Bhat's pariwar.
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