Vijayapura BJP MLA Basanagouda Patil Yatnal is in trouble as senior Congress leader DK Shivakumar has sued him for derogatory statements against him for a sum of Rs 204 crore in a Kanakapura court
Bengaluru: Senior Congress leader DK Shivakumar (DKS) has filed a defamation case against Basanagouda Patil Yatnal, the BJP Vijayapura MLA for his alleged incendiary remarks against the Congress leader.
He has sued the MLA for Rs 204 crore. In this regard, he has filed a case at his hometown Kanakapura Senior Civil Judge and JMFC court. The judge has admitted the case and has issued summons to Basanagouda Patil Yatnal. The defamation case will be taken up for next hearing on September 18, 2019.
The complainant has also deposited a sum of over Rs 1. 04 crore as court fee.
It’s alleged by DK Shivakumar that Yatnal had made a statement to the effect that he (DKS) had been approaching the BJP top brass in Delhi and pleading with them to impress upon Amit Shah, the BJP president to drop cases related to financial irregularities against him, for which he would, as an act of gratitude, would not be a stumbling block in the formation of a BJP government in Karnataka.
Here’s the bite.
In the suit, DKS has mentioned that “these irresponsible statements that I support to destabilise the coalition government are aimed at with devious intension to impede my political prosperity and growth and to put my image at stake in the eyes of leaders of Congress at state level and Central level apart from coalition leaders.”
However, DKS does concede the fact that he did frequent Delhi, but for official reasons:
“It is a fact that during my stint as water resources minister I have undertaken several official visits to national capital Delhi. These visits and meetings between June 12 and 19 were scheduled with a host of Union ministers to discuss conservation of water and drinking water projects. Water sharing issues and project implementation relating to Mahadayi, Mekedatu were discussed at length. It was my primary concern and duty too as a water resources minister to resolve the issues in the larger interest of public. My official visits with large public interest have been misinterpreted by Yatnal to put me in bad light in the eyes of leaders, public, voters and central leadership. This has caused mental agony and distressed me.”
Yatnal was not available for his reactions.
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