Kalaburagi: State BJP chief B.S. Yeddyurappa stunned everyone present when he lost his cool and warned the tahsildar of Lingasugur that he would get a slap for his failure to provide basic amenities mainly drinking water to the residents of a thanda in the taluk.
Mr Yeddyurappa, who is on tour to study the impact of the drought in some parts of the state, got irritated when residents complained about the negligence of tahsildar Chandrakanath in supplying them drinking water during summer. The people also complained that none of the schemes for providing employment to farm labourers, for drought relief or supply of water were being properly implemented in the thanda.
After hearing the complaints, Mr Yeddyurappa warned the officer to mend his ways and attend to the problems properly.
The BJP on Sunday alleged that the Congress-JD(S) coalition has received "kickbacks" for selling 3,667 acres of land, having rich deposits of iron ore, to JSW steel company in Ballari district.
The comments by Karnataka BJP Chief B.S. Yeddyurappa have come a day after chairman and managing director of the steel giant, Sajjan Jindal said the company never does anything "illegal" or "disadvantageous" to people of the state. "We will be holding a three-day protest in Bengaluru against government's decision to sell 3,667 acres of land to Jindal at Rs 1.22 lakh per acre," Yeddyurappa told reporters in Yadgir. "If the decision is not taken back and if the need arises, we will hold a state-wide protest also," added the BJP leader.
Asked whether any kickback was received by the coalition government, he said, "If not, why will they do it? After the Lok Sabha elections the first thing they did in the cabinet meet was giving away over 3,600 acres... H.K. Patil (Congress leader) has also opposed it." To a query on who received the kickbacks, he said, "Who else? those running the government."
