Yatnal’s charges should be probed, says DKS

BENGALURU: The Congress got lucky, with Vijayapura MLA Basanagouda Patil Yatnal giving the party another stick to beat the BJP with. KPCC president DK Shivakumar demanded that Yatnal’s statement that the “going rate is Rs 2,500 crore for a chief minister and Rs 100 crore for a minister’’ should be probed and debated at the national level. Yatnal’s comment has left the BJP squirming in embarrassment, coming as it does at a time when his party is trying to play down the PSI recruitment scam and charges of 40 per cent corruption. With elections barely 10 months away, the Bommai government is having to deal with fresh allegations of corruption.

“Yatnal is a former Union minister and sitting MLA. His statement should be taken seriously and investigated,” Shivakumar said. “Under the BJP’s rule, there are amounts to be paid for recruitment as police sub-inspectors. Professor Ashok Kumar had committed suicide over appointment of Bengaluru University Vice-Chancellor.’’ On WHO putting India’s Covid- 19 death toll at 47 lakh, he said the government should give Rs 5 lakh as compensation to the kin of Covid victims.

“Many leaders, including Siddaramaiah, had said that 4.5 lakh people had died in Karnataka, but the government insisted that the number was smaller. In my taluk, more than 400 people died but the government claims that only 100 people have died. So far, the government has not given compensation to those who have died of Covid, though former CM Yediyurappa had assured a compensation.” “The health minister is hiding the death toll. CM Bommai should immediately provide relief to families of the deceased,” he said.