"Yediyurappa&his son Vijayendra want to divide Veerashaiva- Lingayat community"

Rebel BJP MLA Basanagouda Patilon Sunday alleged that Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa, his sonB Y Vijayendra, the BJP state vice president, were making asystematic attempt to divide the dominant Veerashaiva-Lingayatcommunity for their political gain.

''Whenever Yediyurappa gets an indication from the topthat there is a threat to his chair (position), he uses theVeerashaiva-Lingayat issue for his benefit.

His son (Vijayendra) too does so on similar lines.

They have the ill-intention of not granting OBC status tothe Veerashaiva-Lingayat community,'' Yatnal told reporters inTumakuru.

He alleged that Vijayendra and Minister Murugesh Niraniwere trying to systematically divide the community and saidthey would never succeed.

Yatnal has often been taking part in the agitation byBasava Jaya Mrutyunjaya Swami of Kudalsangama mutt for OBC (2Acategory) status to the Veerashaiva-Lingayat community.

The seer last week started on a padayatra fromKudalasangama to Bengaluru to press for the demand and issupported by various seers and leaders of the Veerashaiva andLingayat communities.

Yatnal alleged that Yediyurappa, a Lingayat himself, wasnot keen on granting 2A status to the community.

The Vijayapura MLA said no government order has beenissued or a gazette notification published on the OBC-2Astatus to the Lingayat-Veerashaiva community.

To a question on the show cause notice issued by the BJPhigh command for speaking against the Chief Minister andothers, he said he was yet to receive it.

He alleged that issuing the notice was part of a falsepropaganda to stop other BJP MLAs from speaking.

Yatnal has been up in arms against the Chief Minister andhis son Vijayendra and has even said that Yediyurappa would be'removed' from his position shortly.

Yatnal's outburst against the CM intensified after thecabinet expansion when he was not included in it,despite beinga senior party functionary and a former union minister.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)