Kalaburagi, Jan 22 (DHNS):  

The state executive meeting of the BJP on Saturday resolved to take action against members of the party who take part in the activities of the Sangolli Rayanna Brigade.

This was announced by party general secretary Aravind Limbavali. Briefing journalists here on the proceedings of the meeting on the first day, Limbavali said the BJP national general secretary in charge of Karnataka P Muralidhar Rao had received many complaints against people trying to equate the Sangolli Rayanna Brigade with the BJP.

It is said that none of the leaders spoke even a word about the Sangolli Rayanna Brigade at the state executive meeting. The Sangolli Rayanna Brigade has caused a rift between state BJP president Yeddyurappa and another senior leader Eshwarappa, who is the force behind the brigade.

At the inaugural session of the executive committee meeting, Yeddyurappa and Eshwarappa shared the dais after a long time. But they did not even exchange pleasantries or mention each other’s name in their speeches. Later, Eshwarappa told reporters that the Congress’ dream of retaining power due to the dissidence in BJP would not be realised.

Meanwhile, the party heaved a sigh of relief with senior leader and former minister V Somanna informing reporters on the sidelines of the meeting that he was not quitting the BJP to join the Congress.

Limbavali said the meeting called upon the state government to expedite relief works in drought-affected areas, deal with cases of atrocities on women with an iron hand and address the loopholes in Article 371 (J) of the Constitution, which provides special status to the Hyderabad-Karnataka region. It criticised the government for not getting the stay granted by the court on providing 8% reservation for people in the Hyderabad-Karnataka region in other areas of the state vacated.

In his address, Union Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Ananth Kumar attacked the Congress government in the state, calling it a ‘420 government,’ as it utilised only Rs 420 crore, out of the Rs 1,330 crore it released to the Hyderabad-Karnataka Development Board. The meeting also demanded that the government should declare 25 more taluks as drought affected.

Police quiz BJP leader over rape

The Bengaluru police detained Venkatesh Mourya, member of the BJP’s national SC morcha, for questioning at Harkod Kalyana Mantapa in Kalaburagi, where the party’s state executive committee meeting was going on, over a 2011 rape case. Speaking to journalists later, Mourya claimed innocence and said the case was “politically motivated”.