Bengaluru: Karnataka BJP President B Y Vijayendra on Thursday challenged Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to disclose the source of his allegation that a Rs 50 crore bribe was offered to each of 50 Congress MLAs to topple the government and to prove his claim. Vijayendra accused the Chief Minister of losing faith in his own MLAs, leading him to make baseless allegations. He added that if Siddaramaiah cannot substantiate his claims, people will not take him seriously.
Siddaramaiah declined to comment on Vijayendra’s statement, saying, “I will not comment on him. Why do you ask me about the person who came into politics just recently?” Vijayendra, in turn, alleged that Siddaramaiah, holding a responsible position, was acting in a way that undermined its dignity. He stated, “You have your own government and your own investigative agencies. It is your moral responsibility to reveal to the people the source of the Rs 50 crore bribe charge. Otherwise, your statement will be nothing more than a childish political remark.”
Vijayendra further argued that the Chief Minister’s allegation insulted the democratic system, as it depicted MLAs as commodities for sale. He accused Siddaramaiah of making up a story to keep the MLAs under control and to divert attention from corruption cases that allegedly surround him.
Calling for an investigation, Vijayendra suggested that the Directorate of Enforcement (ED) should take up the matter independently and conduct an immediate probe into the Chief Minister’s bribe allegation.
