SHIVAMOGGA: Sagar BJP MLA and former minister Haratalu Halappa and former MLA and KPCC spokesperson Beluru Gopalakrishna are likely to testify before the deity at Dharmasthala temple on February 12, 2022.
It may be recalled here that former CMs B S Yediyurappa and H D Kumaraswamy in 2011, over a corruption allegation, dared each other to testify before the deity in 2011 but it did not happen as Yediyurappa was asked not to by the high command. This time, the sitting and former MLAs are talking about taking the truth test.
Gopalakrishna, addressing a press meet at Hosanagara recently, alleged that Halappa was taking commission from sand lorry owners in Sagar and Hosanagara taluks and threatened them that he would not allow them to extract sand illegally if the commission is not paid.
“If Halappa is honest, let him come before the deity and swear before the god that he has not accepted commission from the lorry owners. Halappa is making lorry owners give statements against me. Instead of that, let Halappa himself testify before the deity. I will also testify that Halappa took the commission,” Gopalakrishna had said.
Countering the statement of Gopalakrishna, Halappa on Wednesday asked him to fix the date. “I’m ready to swear before the deity that neither I nor my relatives accepted any commission from the sand lorry owners. I have also not accepted money from the police. Let Gopalakrishna also prove that he had not accepted commission from sand lorry owners and the police,” he said. Halappa himself fixed the date that he was ready to testify before the deity on February 13.
However, Halappa issued a statement on Friday and stated that he will testify before the deity on February 12 as there is a family function on February 13. Gopalakrishna told The New Indian Express that he was ready to testify before the deity on February 13. “I was told that the MLA changed the date now. I will issue my statement soon,” he said.