Telangana BJP leader Jithender Reddy's "Bull treatment" tweet irks party
Hyderabad (PTI): Senior BJP leader and former Lok Sabha member AP Jithender Reddy's tweet along with a video in which a man is seen kicking a Yak on the rear with a caption saying Telangana party leadership also required the same treatment sparked a row in the party.
"This treatment is what's required for BJP Telangana leadership," the National Executive Member of the BJP said in the tweet on Thursday tagging the party's senior leaders Amit Shah, Sunil Bansal, BL Santhosh and the party's headquarters.
In another tweet, Reddy tried to explain the meaning behind the tweet saying the video is to show Telangana BJP chief Bandi Sanjay's attempt to tell what kind of treatment should be given to those questioning his leadership and the idea was misunderstood.
Some of the reported comments allegedly made by Telangana BJP leaders during the last few days, including Reddy's tweet drew sharp rebuttal from the saffron party saying "This kind of unruliness and indiscipline is unacceptable in our party."
Also there were reports in a section of the media suggesting that senior leaders Etala Rajender and Komatireddy Raj Gopal were not happy with the state leadership.
"I strongly condemn the random, unwarranted and damaging media leaks and public statements being made by some leaders in our party. They seem to be forgetting the party they are currently representing. BJP is not Congress or BRS. BJP doesn't have the culture or a system of indulging in public criticism of the party and its leadership," K Krishna Sagar Rao, chief spokesperson of Telangana BJP said in a statement.
Almost all leaders who are making these statements are members either in top state or national committees of the party, and have plenty of opportunities to express their discontent, if any, he further said.
Personal agendas cannot override the party agenda. These leaders must know there's a 'Lakshman Rekha' in the party, he advised.
"Making irresponsible and unwarranted statements against the party and its leadership are to openly exhibit an intention to damage the party. This kind of unruliness and indiscipline is unacceptable in our party," he added.
Recently, Rajender and Komatoreddy met the party's senior leadership in the national capital.
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Karnataka Assembly passes bill on Palace Grounds amid opposition protest
Bengaluru, Mar 6 (PTI): The Karnataka Assembly on Thursday passed the Bangalore Palace (Utilisation and Regulation of Land) Bill, reaffirming state ownership over 472 acres and 16 guntas of land here, amid protests by the opposition BJP.
During the discussion, Karnataka Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister H K Patil said the state government would have to provide Rs 200 crore worth of Transfer of Development Rights (TDR) for each acre of land, which means that for 15 acres, Rs 3,000 crore worth of TDR would be issued.
“If we accept it, then this 2-km stretch of road will become the costliest road in the world. If we accept it then how are we going to develop the city in later stages? How will you carry out development works?” asked Patil.
He also pointed out that this question was raised not only under the Congress government but also during the previous BJP regime.
However, the BJP-led cabinet has opposed the project.
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“Suppose we agree to it then, what will be the valuation of the 472 acres? It will be lakhs and lakhs of crores of rupees. Can we accept?” Patil wondered.
The Minister said the government had previously exercised its executive powers to issue an ordinance, which was approved by the Governor. Now the government is bringing a bill with two amendments.
“In this bill, we have made provisions either to develop or drop the road development work,” Patil explained.
However, BJP state president B Y Vijayendra and BJP MLA Arvind Bellad opposed the move, alleging that the government was targetting Yaduveer Krishna Datta Chamaraja Wadiyar, the scion of the Mysuru royal family, and the BJP MP from Mysuru-Kodagu constituency out of political vendetta.
“We talk of 472 acres of Mysuru Maharaja but here there are many Maharajas who too own 400 acres, 500 acres and thousands of acres of land, which is known to everyone,” Bellad said.
He slammed the Congress government, saying political power should not be misused for personal vendetta.
“Why (the then Deputy Chief Minister) Siddaramaiah brought the law in 1996 pertaining to the Bangalore Palace? Why are you setting eyes on the Bangalore Palace?” he asked.
Vijayendra charged that Wadiyar won the election on BJP ticket so the state government realised that it should acquire it.
“This bill has been brought for political vengeance. We are not discussing whether Rs 3,000 crore is exorbitant or not but the moment Yaduveer became MP, the state government woke up. You should be ashamed. This house should not be used for political vendetta,” he said.
Intervening, Minister Priyank Kharge said Vijayendra should not have raised it because the intention behind building the road was noble.
According to him, the BJP too had the same plan when it was in power.
He sought to know whether thousands of crores of rupees be spent on a road which should have cost significantly less.
In response, BJP MLA B A Basavaraj (Byrathi) said issuing TDR will not be a burden on the state government and appealed to the ruling Congress to reconsider its stance.
Minister Ramalinga Reddy too explained that the Karnataka government acquired the entire land way back in 1996.
The Mysuru royal family went to the High Court, which gave ruling in favour of the state government. The royal family then approached the Supreme Court, where the case is still going on, the Minister pointed out.
“The final judgment is pending in the SC to decide whether the acquisition was right or wrong. If the SC says it’s the royal family’s property then let it be so. If the order is in the state government’s favour then we can take a decision. The bill is only about it,” Reddy explained.
Speaker U T Khader then called for a voice vote and the bill was passed by the Assembly amidst opposition BJP’s discontent.
