Congress demands Lokpal probe into BJP’s ‘Yeddyurappa Diaries’

Congress demands Lokpal probe into BJP’s ‘Yeddyurappa Diaries’

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BJP dismisses Congress allegations over reported payoffs to its top leaders

 

Agencies / New Delhi

Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Friday accused senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders of being “corrupt” after a media report claimed that former Karnataka Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa had allegedly paid bribes to the tune of ₹1,800 crore to the BJP’s top leadership.

BJP president Amit Shah, as well as Karnataka party chief Yeddyurappa, blamed Congress of resorting to “fake issues” and “forged documents.”

“All ‘chowkidars’ (watchmen) of the BJP are thieves NoMo Arun Jaitley Rajnath Singh,” Mr. Gandhi tweeted in Hindi and tagged the news report by the Caravan magazine that detailed alleged pay-offs by Mr. Yeddyurappa to senior leaders and the party’s central election committee.

 

 

Earlier Congress has accused senior BJP leader B S Yedduyurappa of paying over 1800 crore rupees to the BJP’s national leaders during his tenure as Karnataka Chief Minister.

Briefing media, party spokesman Randeep Surjewala citing a report of a magazine, stated that Mr. Yedduyurappa also paid central committee, Judges and advocates.

The magazine report stated that Mr Yedduyurappa recorded these alleged payouts in a Karnataka state Assembly legislator’s 2009 diary.

Mr. Surjewala said each person named in the diary should come forward and submit to an investigation.

“I think this is a fit case to be investigated by the newly appointed Lokpal as the first test case. Now, the ball lies in the Prime Minister’s court to prove if the chowkidar is a thief or if the chowkidar is ready for a probe,” he added.

He alleged that the Income Tax Department had the diaries since 2017 but it did not take action on them. He also asked whether or not a note regarding this was put up before the then I-T Department chief but was rejected.

Reacting to this Mr Yedduyurappa said Congress has planted the story in the media to gain mileage in the upcoming elections.

In a tweet he said I-T Department officials have already proved that the documents are forged and fake. Mr Yeddyurappa said issues raised by Congress leaders are irrelevant and false.

BJP today dismissed the Congress allegations over reported payoffs to its top leaders saying that the allegation is based on falsehood and misrepresentation.

The BJP chief accused the Congress of forgery. “The Congress campaign is in a shambles. Now even forgery can’t save them. A few loose sheets given by a Congress Minister is only as credible and reliable as Rahul Gandhi’s leadership skills,” he said on Twitter.

Briefing reporters in New Delhi, Senior Party leader and Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said, Congress allegation is on the basis of a loose sheet of paper and questioned the authenticity of the diary.

He said that the Congress party wherein many top leaders are out on bail and suffering many court proceedings has now resorted to create a web of lies.