BJP should not become 'party of a family', BJP MLA Yatnal fires salvo over Vijayendra's appointment
Bengaluru, Nov 17: Senior BJP MLA Basanagouda Patil Yatnal on Friday said the party should not become a part of one family, in an apparent reference to the appointment of B Y Vijayendra, son of veteran leader B S Yediyurappa, to the post of Karnataka state unit president.
Neither the BJP nor Hindu activists will accept it if it becomes a party of one family, the Vijayapura MLA said, striking a discordant note ahead of the Legislature Party meeting where opposition leaders in the Assembly and Council are slated to be chosen later on Friday.
He also put forth a demand that the leader of the opposition in the Assembly should be from North Karnataka.
Yatnal was speaking to reporters after Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, BJP national general secretary Dushyant Kumar Gautam and Karnataka BJP general secretary (organisation) Rajesh G V met him at his residence here ahead of the meeting.
Yatnal, a former Union Minister, said all of them sat together and discussed about the developments that have taken place in the last six months in the Karnataka unit of BJP.
He said he told them in great detail about those who "got adjusted" (played "adjustment politics") and who betrayed the party in the May Assembly elections where the party suffered a debacle, and the way the party has become "centralised to just one class of people".
"They were not aware of many truths. While others are scared, I explained to them what had happened in Karnataka because I firmly believe in justice, ethics in politics, and have interests of the party...I told them that BJP should not become a party of one family. We will not accept it. Neither the BJP workers not the Hindu activists will accept it," Yatnal, who is a strong critic of Yediyurappa said.
To a question whether he would welcome the newly elected BJP state chief Vijayendra, the firebrand MLA, who is not known to mince words, preferred not to react.
He said he will attend the meeting this evening to present his point.
Noing that he is not scared of anyone or functioned under compulsion, Yatnal claimed that attempts were made to ‘buy him.' "Yesterday an agent had come to buy me. I told that chap that I have the capacity to buy 10 people like him. Such cheap things are done." To a question whether it was Vijayendra who had sent the 'agent' to him, he said he will disclose when "the time comes." Regarding attempts made by Vijayendra to speak to him, he said: "I am not the one who spoke to everyone. I speak to those who respect me".
When asked whether any blackmailing happened in the selection of the state president, Yatnal said, "What else is it? Our honest Hindu workers are getting killed. A fear is created by jailing people for a single Facebook post. What's the reason? All this is happening because of their (certain BJP leaders’) 'adjustment politics'." The BJP leader stressed that the BJP was in power when the KG Halli riots happened in Bengaluru, a Hindu activist (Harsha) was killed in Shivamogga and a police station in Hubballi was attacked.
"Wasn't our government in power then? Why you did not kill people in encounter as is done in Uttar Pradesh. Why the BJP reached the stage of 66 seats? We would have got 133 seats," he pointed out.
Asked about his stand if the demand -- that a legislator from north Karnataka be made leader of the opposition -- is not fulfilled, he said, "Then people and we will decide. We will not sit idly. This is not my nature to tie hands and say 'Jee Huzur.'" He claimed that he has many MLAs with him.
The 59-year-old leader said he wants Narendra Modi to become the Prime Minister again.
According to the MLA, if Hindus want India to survive, the country needs Narendra Modi to win the the 2024 elections. It’s not about Narendra Modi but for the survival of the country, he said. "Today after seeing Israel and Hamas, we feel that if Narendra Modi does not come back then India will not survive."
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India, Jamaica agree to boost trade, skilled mobility: Jaishankar
Kingston (PTI): India and Jamaica agreed to further strengthen trade linkages and explore cooperation for recruitment and mobility of skilled professionals, including healthcare workers and teachers, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said.
Addressing a joint press conference here after talks with his Jamaican counterpart Kamina J Smith on Monday, Jaishankar said the discussions were comprehensive, and they reviewed the entire gamut of bilateral ties, identifying new avenues to deepen the partnership.
"We signed several important agreements and discussed effective implementations of MOUs which have been recently concluded in the fields of digital transformation, cultural exchange, sports and digital payments to ensure tangible outcomes on the ground," he said.
India recognised Jamaica's growing role as a logistics hub and gateway to the Caribbean for trade and investment, Jaishankar said.
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"We agreed to further strengthen trade, business and investment linkages, explore cooperation for recruitment and mobility of skilled professionals, including nurses, healthcare workers and teachers," he said.
The two sides also discussed expanding cooperation in defence and security, healthcare, digitisation, agriculture, education and infrastructure, the minister said.
Highlighting development cooperation as a key pillar of ties, Jaishankar noted the successful completion of the Improving Rural Livelihoods Project in Kitson Town in March 2026, implemented with Indian assistance of USD 1 million under the India-UN Development Partnership Fund, benefiting over 200 individuals and impacting thousands more.
He said India is also discussing the feasibility of establishing an artisan empowerment hub in Jamaica and reiterated support for the country's recovery following Hurricane Melissa.
As part of humanitarian assistance, India has supplied relief material, deployed a medical team and is in the process of providing 30 dialysis units. It is also sending 40 fishing boats and 200 GPS units to aid recovery efforts.
The ministers reaffirmed close cooperation in multilateral fora and discussed issues such as reformed multilateralism, climate justice and priorities of the Global South.
India appreciated Jamaica’s support for its candidature for a non-permanent seat at the UN Security Council for 2028-29.
Both sides strongly condemned terrorism in all its forms and called for early finalisation of the Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism.
Jaishankar also highlighted growing people-to-people ties, noting the popularity of yoga and Ayurveda in Jamaica and the contribution of the Indian diaspora to the country’s development.
He announced a contribution of two million Jamaican dollars towards celebrations marking 181 years of the arrival of Indians in Jamaica on India Heritage Day.
According to the website of the High Commission of India in Kingston, Jamaica has an Indian diaspora of around 70,000 people whose forefathers came mostly from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar as indentured labour between 1845 and 1917. Some also came from South India.
The diaspora constitutes around 3 per cent of Jamaica's population and continues to nurture an abiding interest in Indian culture, music, dance and history, serving as a cultural bridge between the two countries. May 10 is observed as India Heritage Day in Jamaica.
Later in the day, Jaishankar interacted with Jamaica’s industry and business leaders, underlining the need to deepen economic engagement as countries diversify partnerships globally.
“Emphasised that as we all diversify and seek reliable partners, the imperative to deepen India-Jamaica business ties is that much stronger,” he said in a social media post, noting that the potential for bilateral and regional economic cooperation should be "explored more vigorously".
He also appreciated Industry Minister Aubyn Hill for convening the interaction with business leaders.
Jaishankar arrived in Kingston on Saturday, marking the first leg of his nine-day tour of Jamaica, Suriname, and Trinidad and Tobago, aimed at further strengthening India's strategic and cultural ties with the Caribbean nations.
