With the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party alleging that Ministers and officials in the Karnataka government have been tasked with collecting funds for the Congress Party ahead of the upcoming Bihar assembly polls, Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar on Monday publicly challenged the Saffron party to provide evidence to support its claims.
BJP MPs Jagadish Shettar and BY Raghavendra have alleged that the ruling Congress is involved in fundraising for the Bihar elections, a practice they claim has resulted in increased corruption within the state.
"If they have any evidence, let them release it. Let Raghavendra not become synonymous with lies. There are some leaders who do hit and run, let Raghavendra too not become the same," Shivakumar told reporters, directly responding to Raghavendra's claim that Ministers were using officials to raise funds for the Bihar polls and that the practice has now become a "business" for the ruling Congress in Karnataka.
Raghavendra had asserted in Shivamogga that: "All Ministers in the cabinet have been looting through officials to send the funds for Bihar polls, officials have been asked to collect money. After gathering money from transfers, now it is being done in the name of renewals. All Ministers are collecting money for the Bihar polls, it has become their main business."
Former Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar had earlier claimed that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah recently hosted a dinner meeting for his cabinet colleagues specifically in connection with the Bihar polls. "The CM had called each Minister separately during the dinner and had discussed with them, and depending upon the departments the Ministers hold and their strength and capacity, targets were fixed for them to collect money, to send it for Bihar polls," he alleged.
Shettar further argued that, given Karnataka is a key resource base for the Congress across the country, the state government acts as an "ATM" for the party's high command. "Why is corruption rampant? Why has commission increased? When asked, officials say that the money has to be sent to Bihar...," he added.
The Bihar polls are scheduled to be held over two phases on November 6 and 11, with the votes set to be counted on November 14.
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