BJP MP Blames Yedyurappa for Rise in Corruption, Ignoring Dalits

Bangalore, June 22 (IANS): A Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP, Ramesh Jigajinagi, Tuesday alleged that Dalits were being neglected and corruption was on the rise under the party's first Chief Minister in Karnataka B.S. Yeddyurappa. 

Jigajinagi's attack on Yeddyurappa comes three days ahead of a 'Sadhana Samavesha' (convention on achievements) here to celebrate the party's two years in office.
A fourth-term member of the Lok Sabha, Jigajinagi said Dalits hadn't got proper representation in the Yeddyurappa ministry.

"Nor are the views of Dalit members of the party given weightage in Yeddyurappa's administration," he told reporters in his home district Bijapur, about 530 km from here.
Jigajinagi represents Bijapur, a constituency reserved for Scheduled Castes, in the Lok Sabha.

He charged that Yeddyurappa had no control over the administration. "Corruption has reached intolerable proportions under Yeddyurappa's chief ministership," he asserted.
Jigajinagi said he was yet to receive an invitation for the June 25 'Sadhana Samavesha' in Bangalore. "This is one more instance of neglect of Dalits in the party," he said.
The 'Sadhana Samavesha' has come under attack from the opposition Congress party.
State Congress president R.V. Deshpande told reporters in Bangalore Tuesday that "the ruling party is wasting tax payers' money" by holding the convention.

"This government has been a failure on all fronts. Let the chief minister invite leaders of the Congress party in the assembly and the legislative council to the meet. They will highlight the government's failures," he said.