BENGALURU: BJP leader Sunil Kumar on Wednesday raised the issue of actor Ranya Rao’s gold smuggling case and the alleged honey trap reportedly attempted on a minister in the ruling Congress.
“To snub political rivals, Congress leaders resorted to honey trapping which is unfortunate,” he regretted.
He questioned why a constable, Basavaraju, was kept on protocol duty at Kempegowda International Airport for a long time, without rotation, and why he did not inform the authorities about Ranya’s movements.
Congress MLA PM Narendraswamy, ministers Priyank Kharge and Dinesh Gundu Rao pointed to failure on the part of Customs. Admitting to this, Sunil questioned the state’s intelligence lapses.
Kharge insisted that senior BJP leader Basanagouda Patil Yatnal reveal the names of ministers who were allegedly involved in the gold smuggling case. “He should not fire in the air,” he chided.
Leader of Opposition R Ashoka taunted that Congress leaders themselves have turned informants in the Ranya case to trap their own leaders. “MLAs sitting in the back benches might be expecting to graduate to the front benches, expecting the heads of 2-3 ministers to roll,” he said.