"Provide us a platform and hear us": Karkala BJP MLA V Sunil Kumar to leadership amid bickering
Bengaluru, Jun 8: Karnataka BJP MLA and government's chief whip in the legislative assembly V Sunil Kumar on Tuesday urged the party leadership to provide a "platform" for legislators and workers to express their opinion.
He also voiced concern over recent developments in the party, following speculation in some quarters about replacing Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa.
"Remarks coming in the media in the last 3 days are not good for the interest of the party.
(A) Few comments from a few people is not the same as all MLAs and party workers.
We can't tell our opinion to the media, request party leaders to provide us a platform to hear us," Kumar tweeted.
The tweet was tagged to BJP national general secretary in-charge of Karnataka Arun Singh, another national general secretary C T Ravi, who is from the state and Karnataka BJP President Nalin Kumar Kateel.
This is even as some BJP legislators were said to be pushing for convening a legislature party meeting, pointing at certain decisions taken by the government, its functioning, handling of the COVID crisis and alleged instances of corruption, among others.
However, Kateel had recently ruled out any immediate possibility of holding a legislature party meeting, citing COVID reasons.
Sharing a similar view, another BJP legislator, on grounds of anonymity, told PTI that the recent developments like making public statements by some legislators are not good for the party.
"Many of us also have our own views regarding the party and the government, but everyone can't come out and speak in front of the media as we don't want to cross the party line," the MLA said.
Seeking an appropriate forum for legislators and loyal party workers to share their opinion, he said senior leaders should hear divergent views and ideas should be exchanged.
"We want to share our concerns regarding the functioning of the party and the government before senior leaders...
it is not regarding the leadership issue,"the MLA further said, adding that there are more than 50 MLAs having similar sentiments.
The last few days have seen a series of political statements around speculation in some quarters about attempts to replace Yediyurappa and claims by his political secretary M P Renukacharya about having a letter signed by more than 65 legislators supporting the Chief Minister.
Amid speculations, Yediyurappa on Sunday said that he would continue in the top post as long as the BJP high command has confidence in him, and he had no confusion about it.
However, aimed at putting an end to open expressions of resentment and statements on leadership change, which are causing embarrassment to the party and the government, the state BJP has constituted a ten member committee and said that those with grievances can approach it.
Sunil Kumar in December too had asked the leadership to convene a meeting of legislators to discuss developments, amid reports of alleged groupism within the BJP's state unit, then.
He had also then urged Kateel to rein in ministers, legislators and party leaders making public statements.
Remarks coming in media in last 3 days are not good in interest of party. Few comments of few people is not same as all MLAs & party workers. We can't tell our opinion to media, request party leaders to provide us a platform to hear us @CTRavi_BJP @ArunSinghbjp @nalinkateel
— Sunil Kumar Karkala (@karkalasunil) June 8, 2021
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Man arrested with Rs 2.54-crore heroin in Mumbai
Mumbai (PTI): Police have arrested a man and seized over 500 grams of heroin worth Rs 2.54 crore in the illicit market from him in Mumbai, officials said on Friday.
The police's Anti-Narcotics Cell (ANC) made the drug seizure in Santacruz in the western suburbs. The operation was conducted by the Kandivali unit of the ANC on Thursday as part of a special crackdown against drug trafficking in the area, they said.
Acting on specific inputs, an ANC team conducted a raid in Santacruz (East) and intercepted a man. During a search, the team recovered 508 grams of high-grade heroin from his possession, an official said.
The seized contraband, a highly addictive, opioid drug derived from morphine, is estimated to be worth Rs 2.54 crore in the international market, he informed.
Following the seizure, a case was registered against the man under relevant sections of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985, and he was formally placed under arrest in the early hours of Friday.
The police are currently investigating the source of the drug and trying to identify the intended recipients of the consignment, he said.
