Madal was caught red-handed while accepting `40 lakh cash
Bengaluru: Former Karnataka Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa on Saturday said the state’s BJP government will not protect the accused party MLA and his son, who was caught taking a bribe, and added that there is no question of interfering with
the probe conducted by Lokayukta.
Speaking to reporters, Yediyurappa said that Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai has already issued a statement in this regard.
“No one is trying to interfere with the probe. The Chief Minister has stated that the required action will be initiated under the legal framework. I will not speak about it any further,”
he added.
Yediyurappa refused to comment on the protest by the Congress leaders demanding Bommai’s resignation.
Meanwhile, Lokayukta sources explained that they are preparing to arrest Channagiri constituency MLA Madal Virupakshappa in connection with the case.
His son Prashanth Madal was caught red-handed while accepting `40 lakh cash as bribe towards allotment of a tender.
Virupakshappa has been made prime accused in the case.
The development has caused severe embarrassment to the ruling BJP. Prashanth Madal has been sent to 14-days judicial custody.
Virupakshappa, who was the Chairman of the Karnataka Soaps and Detergents Limited (KSDL), has resigned from the post and denied any involvement in the case.
A total of `2.02 crore was seized from the private office of Prashant Madal on Crescent Road and `6.10 crore was seized from the residence of Virupakshappa.
Meanwhile, the Congress is staging a protest demanding resignation of Bommai in front of his residence. Meanwhile, Congress leaders, including Opposition leader Siddaramaiah, were detained while attempting to lay siege to Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai’s residence in Bengaluru
on Saturday.
State In-charge Randeep Singh Surjewala and State President D.K. Shivakumar were also among those detained.
The Congress staged a protest demanding resignation of CM Bommai in connection with Lokayukta trap case in which BJP MLA Madal Virupakshappa and his son Prashanth Madal, a top government official, have been named as the prime accused.
Prashanth Madal was caught red-handed by Lokayukta while accepting `40 lakh as bribe. Later, `6 crore was seized by authorities at their residences.
The Karnataka police stopped the Congress leaders soon after they started a protest march from the party headquarters towards the CM’s residence.
Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar held suitcases condemning the incident. On being stopped by the police, the Congress leaders sat on the road and raised slogans.
Randeep Singh Surjewala stated the ruling BJP government should be called as corrupt Bommai government. “Wherever CM Bommai visits, he is welcomed with posters branding him as 40 per cent commission CM. The people of the state have a clear understanding of commission allegations. The government is indulged in corruption of such a magnitude with a soap manufacturing unit which sells soaps for `20, what must be the proportion in all other sectors?” Surjewala questioned.