BENGALURU: Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah should look into allegations of 40 per cent commission being collected by BJP ministers, leaders and MLAs in Karnataka as alleged by the contractors’ association, said AICC general secretary and Karnataka in-charge Randeep Singh Surjewala here on Monday.
“The 40 per cent BJP government’ led by Basavaraj Bommai is corrupt and does not have the right to continue in power even for a single day. I heard that both Shah and Modi are coming to Karnataka. They should remove corrupt ministers and government. Otherwise, it proves that the 40 per cent commission reaches up to New Delhi and Nagpur,” he alleged.
Attending a function where former minister MB Patil took charge as KPCC campaign committee chief at Bengaluru Palace Grounds, Surjewala hinted that Congress could make corruption in the government a poll plank ahead of the 2023 Assembly elections in Karnataka.
“It was on July 6, 2021 that association president D Kempanna wrote to Modi saying contractors have to give 40 per cent commission to ministers, leaders and MLAs in the government. A BJP leader too has sent a note to Modi. Where have the investigative agencies, including ED and ACB, gone now,” he asked.
KPCC president DK Shivakumar extended the party’s support to an agitation planned by contractors in April.
“Kempanna wrote the letter to Modi, but no investigation has been ordered till now. If the Prime Minister was committed to his policy of ‘na khaunga, khane dunga’, he should have dismissed the government,” said Leader of Opposition Siddaramaiah.
Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge alleged that the Modi government is selling off all the assets, including PSUs, created by Congress governments of the past. “They have also failed to fill 19 lakh vacancies in different government departments, which has led to a rise in unemployment,” he added.
Congress unity
Congress leaders put up a united front with almost all the top leaders, including MLAs, attending the event. Over one lakh people from across the state, including Patil’s home town of Vijayapura, attended. When Leader of Opposition in the Council BK Hariprasad got up to deliver his address, Siddaramaiah left the dais. Some from the audience too followed him. After Hariprasad finished his speech and DK Shivakumar started delivering his speech, Siddaramaiah returned to the dais. “Siddaramaiah might have gone to the restroom,” a Congress leader said.