BENGALURU: Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Friday alleged that the BJP had offered Rs 50 crore each to ruling Congress MLAs to resign, and also promised them financial support for the subsequent byelections, as part of ‘Operation Kamala’.
“Why do Income Tax raids happen on all opposition parties? Are people who have amassed wealth through illegal means only in the opposition, is there no one in the BJP? BJP is the father of corruption, it started Operation Lotus in Karnataka. They offered Rs 50crore each to our MLAs, besides funds to fight byelections. Is this not black money?” he asked.
Addressing a joint press conference at the KPCC office, Siddaramaiah alleged that the BJP is strangling opposition parties by freezing their bank accounts. “For fear of defeat in the elections, BJP leaders are destroying political parties and parliamentary democracy.
They know the people’s mandate is going against them. How long will they play with emotional issues such as abrogation of Article 370, CAA, Ram temple, Pulwama. When there is a threat to democracy, the people of India will not tolerate, but teach the BJP a lesson,” he said.
He alleged that the Modi government has weakened the CBI, IT department and ED, and urged the Election Commission to restore the Congress’ bank accounts which were frozen.
AICC general secretary and Karnataka in-charge Randeep Singh Surjewala alleged that the BJP government illegally arrested chief ministers of opposition parties -- Arvind Kejriwal of Delhi and Hemanth Soren of Jharkhand -- when Lok Sabha elections are just three or four weeks away. “Many opposition leaders are being falsely prosecuted and sent to jail. Governors are being used against state governments,” he said.
He expressed confidence that the people of Karnataka, who voted the BJP out of power in 2023, will follow suit in the LS polls.
No money to run show: DCM
Deputy CM DK Shivakumar expressed helplessness in running the party in the state as donations raised by enrolling 78 lakh people at Rs 10 per head, Rs 90 crore from party workers, and Rs 2 lakh each from MLA ticket aspirants during assembly elections, amounting to Rs 20 crore, were frozen by BJP. “I had a similar plan to raise donations for LS polls but the AICC said our accounts were frozen. I don’t have money to pay salaries of KPCC staff and am seeking the help of the CM and MLAs,” he claimed.