BANGALORE: JD(S) leader H D Kumaraswamy who has come under strong criticism from all quarters for the cash-for-MLC seat controversy involving him, has challenged for an open debate on the issue.
He said that ‘he is ready to face a probe and if situation warranted he is ready to go to jail or become a martyr for telling the truth.’ Speaking during the debate on the demands of the Revenue Department, Kumaraswamy maintained that the custom of politicians admitting to the truth has been started from him and alleged that he and his party are being targeted for telling the truth.
He said that several officials are into rampant corruption and they go scot free, while politicians are targeted for telling the truth by the media. Referring to BJP MLA Vishwanath’s charges that a sub-registrar takes away a bribe of `10 lakh per day, he said that the officials earn as much as `36 crore as bribe every year. “I have come out telling the truth. I do not know when you will tell the truth,” he said. He accused the media for projecting him as a ‘villain’ and ‘a murderer of democracy.’
He said that the Speaker should come to his and his party MLAs’ rescue.