BJP serves show cause notice to MLA Basanagouda Patil Yatnal
Bengaluru (PTI): Days after he launched a month-long anti-Waqf march that apparently did not have the state unit's sanction, Karnataka BJP MLA and known Yediyurappa critic Basanagouda Patil Yatnal has been served with a showcause notice by the party for his "continuing tirade against the state level party leadership."
BJP's Central Disciplinary Committee (CDC) has served the notice to the Vijayapura MLA and asked him to reply within 10 ten days.
A defiant Yatnal, responding to the notice said his commitment to the fight for Hindutva and against 'dynastic politics' will continue.
"Your tirade against the state level party leadership and your defiance of party directives and making public pronouncements and stance in contravention of party's official stand on all matters of political and public importance has been reported in media as well as by different party forums," Om Pathak, CDC member secretary said in his show cause notice on December 1, which was shared with media on Monday.
The party said it would proceed to take a final view on the matter if Yatnal fails to give a reply within the stipulated time.
Yatnal is known as a strong critic of BJP veteran and former Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa and his family, especially his son and the party's Karnataka chief B Y Vijayendra. Yatnal has often targeted them and demanded the BJP central leadership to check Yediyurappa's 'dynastic politics' for effective fight against the 'dynastic politics' of Congress.
Pathak said, "It is a matter of 'great concern' that despite having been issued show cause notice several times in the past and your assurances of good conduct, the acts of indiscipline continue unabated."
Noting his seniority and long-standing in the party, Pathak said the CDC took a lenient view on the explanations submitted by him in the past.
"False and veiled allegations levelled by you against the party leaders together with defiance of the official stand of the party on matters of political and public importance, constitute a serious breach of the party discipline as defined in Article XXV of BJP Party Rules 'Breach of Discipline' section (a) and (f)," the CDC member secretary said.
"Please show cause as to why the party should not take disciplinary action against you. Your explanation should be submitted to the undersigned no later than ten days from the receipt of this notice," Pathak told Yatnal.
In the event of non-receipt of the explanation within the time stipulated herein, the Central Disciplinary Committee might assume that Yatnal has nothing to say, and it may proceed to take a final view in the matter.
Yatnal along with, few senior BJP leaders, including MLA Ramesh Jarkiholi, Arvind Limbavali, Mahesh Kumtahalli, Madhu Bangarappa had taken out a month-long anti-Waqf march from Bidar to Chamarajanagar. The march started on November 25 and will conclude on December 25.
The march is widely perceived as a show of strength by the anti-Vijayendra faction within the BJP. Yatnal has said the march was not directed against any individual but aimed at "protecting farmers, Sanatana Dharma, and Hindus from eviction notices issued by the state Waqf Board."
Reacting to the CDC notice, Yatnal said his commitment to the fight for Hindutva and 'dynastic politics' will continue.
"I will respond to the notice issued by the BJP Disciplinary Committee Chairman, while also presenting the facts regarding the current state of the BJP in Karnataka," the Vijayapura MLA said in a post on 'X'.
"My commitment to the fight for Hindutva, opposition to corruption, Waqf-related issues, and dynasty politics will remain unwavering," he added.
Incidentally, Yatnal had left for New Delhi on Sunday in connection with a court case but is likely to meet the party's central leadership, sources had said earlier.
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Cong takes swipe at PM over India not being part of US-led 'Pax Silica' grouping
New Delh (PTI) The Congress on Saturday said it is perhaps not very surprising that India is not part of a US-led strategic initiative to build a secure silicon supply chain, given the "sharp downturn" in the Trump-Modi ties, and asserted that it would have been to "our advantage if we had been part of this group".
Congress general secretary in charge of communications Jairam Ramesh took a swipe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying the news of India not being part of the group comes after the PM had enthusiastically posted on social media about a telephone call with his "once-upon-a-time good friend and a recipient of many hugs in Ahmedabad, Houston, and Washington DC".
In a lengthy post on X, Ramesh said, "According to some news reports, the US has excluded India from a nine-nation initiative it has launched to reduce Chinese control on high-tech supply chains. The agreement is called Pax Silica, clearly as a counter to Pax Sinica. The nations included (for the moment at least) are the US, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Singapore, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Israel, the United Arab Emirates, and Australia."
"Given the sharp downturn in the Trump-Modi ties since May 10th, 2025, it is perhaps not very surprising that India has not been included. Undoubtedly, it would have been to our advantage if we had been part of this group."
"This news comes a day after the PM had enthusiastically posted on his telephone call with his once-upon-a-time good friend and a recipient of many hugs in Ahmedabad, Houston, and Washington DC," the Congress leader asserted.
The new US-led strategic initiative, rooted in deep cooperation with trusted allies, has been launched to build a secure and innovation-driven silicon supply chain.
According to the US State Department, the initiative called 'Pax Silica' aims to reduce coercive dependencies, protect the materials and capabilities foundational to artificial intelligence (AI), and ensure aligned nations can develop and deploy transformative technologies at scale.
The initiative includes Japan, South Korea, Singapore, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Israel, the United Arab Emirates, and Australia. With the exception of India, all other QUAD countries -- Japan, Australia and the US -- are part of the new initiative.
New Delhi will host the India-AI Impact Summit 2026 on February 19-20, focusing on the principles of 'People, Planet, and Progress'. The summit, announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the France AI Action Summit, will be the first-ever global AI summit hosted in the Global South.
Prime Minister Modi and US President Trump on Thursday discussed ways to sustain momentum in the bilateral economic partnership in a phone conversation amid signs of the two sides inching closer to firming up a much-awaited trade deal.
The phone call between the two leaders came on a day Indian and American negotiators concluded two-day talks on the proposed bilateral trade agreement that is expected to provide relief to India from the Trump administration's whopping 50 per cent tariffs on Indian goods.
In a social media post, Modi had described the conversation as "warm and engaging".
"We reviewed the progress in our bilateral relations and discussed regional and international developments. India and the US will continue to work together for global peace, stability and prosperity," Modi had said without making any reference to trade ties.
