Yatnal's Rs 40,000 cr corruption allegations against BSY regime bring joy to Congress

Karnataka’s ruling Congress is mighty pleased to hear BJP dissident Basanagouda Patil Yatnal hurl whopping corruption allegations related to the Covid-19 period when BJP star BS Yediyurappa (BSY) was the chief minister.

Naturally, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is embarrassed and shocked after Yatnal put the corruption amount during the pandemic period at a mammoth Rs 40,000 crore – and vowed to furnish evidence to back his claim.

Even present chief minister Siddaramaiah, when he was the leader of the Opposition, had alleged corruption only to the tune of Rs 3,000 crore in the procurement of Covid equipment by the then BJP government.

Yatnal has always been critical of BSY, as Yediyurappa is widely known. But his criticism has turned into a tsunami ever since BSY’s son BY Vijayendra was made the president of the Karnataka BJP and BSY loyalist R Ashoka the leader of the Opposition in the Assembly.

Yatnal is furious that BSY’s baton has been handed over to his son while the BJP publicly claims that it is against the politics of dynasty. According to Yatnal, Vijayendra was a shadow chief minister when both BSY and Basavaraj Bommai held the reins.

BJP factions

The BJP in Karnataka has been consumed by ugly infighting since losing power in May. The outbursts of several leaders including former BJP ministers V Somanna, ST Somashekhar and Shivaram Hebbar have embarrassed the party. Yatnal, the BJP fears, is costing the party dearly, day after day.

Amid speculation that the BJP plans to suspend Yatnal, he has vowed to expose the alleged irregularities totalling Rs 40,000 crore in Karnataka when BSY led the government.

Yatnal’s aggression has helped the Congress to up the ante against the BJP at a time when the latter is busy working on allegations of corruption and other charges against the present ruling party.

It also helped the Congress to divert attention from communal politics which, it is feared, the BJP will foment again ahead of the Lok Sabha elections.

According to Yatnal, a face mask originally priced at Rs 45 was inflated to Rs 480 during the Covid crisis. This, the Congress says, proved that the allegation by then Opposition leader Siddaramaiah was true.

The present Siddaramaiah government has initiated action against the alleged corruption and other misappropriation during the pandemic.

"We have to thank Yatnal for his bold statements against his party leaders who were involved in malpractices during Covid management," a Congress leader said.

Congress charge

Siddaramaiah, as the Congress leader, had alleged in July 2020, irregularities in the procurement of Covid equipment including PPE kits, ventilators, masks, scrubs, oxygen cylinders, hand sanitisers and arranging beds for patients.

He had asked the BSY government to release a white paper on the Covid expenditures.

A Public Accounts Committee (PAC) formed during BJP rule itself uncovered corruption in the procurement of medical equipment during the pandemic. It tabled a report in July 2023 and asked the government to order a detailed investigation by an independent agency.

"The authorities did not furnish the details of bills of purchase, agreement copies, details of the equipment suppliers, etc," the report said. "Some companies violated the norms but the government did not blacklist them but allowed them to take part in the tender process."

Even Bengaluru's BJP MP Tejasvi Surya alleged that bribes were sought to give away hospital beds to needy patients after the beds were booked in fake names by corrupt officials. The BJP government had ordered a police probe into the charge. Later, the Karnataka High Court directed an investigation by a senior IPS official.

After Siddaramaiah became the chief minister this year, his government formed an inquiry panel headed by a High Court retired judge, Justice John Michael Cunha, based on the PAC report.

It has started investigating the corruption in the health and family welfare and medical education departments.

Now, the inquiry commission may ask Yanal to submit documents to expose the mind-boggling corruption he claims took place when the BJP governed Karnataka.