Two of the JDS were seen discussing cash for votes' in the forthcoming Rajya Sabha polls in the state.
Chikkamagaluru: Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Friday denied allegations made by former Chief Minister and JD(S) State President H.D. Kumaraswamy that the ruling Congress party had played a role in the sting operation by private news channels exposing four legislators including two of the JDS who were seen discussing ‘cash for votes’ in the forthcoming Rajya Sabha polls in the state.
The CM said, “JDS is getting weak owing to internal bickering, Congress has nothing to gain from it.” He added that those who have been exposed in the sting operation have already denied their role.
Commenting on the charge of former CM and state BJP president B.S. Yeddyurappa, Mr Siddaramaiah said, “Mr Yeddyurappa should take credit for Operation Lotus through which the BJP poached legislators of JD(S) and Congress and he became CM.”
On the police protest demanding fulfilment of their demands, Mr Siddaramaiah said that so far, policemen have not discussed their demands with the state government. He wanted policemen to come forward for a discussion instead of going on a protest on Saturday. “We have given facilities to policemen, if there are other demands which need to be fulfilled, a discussion will be held,” Mr Siddaramaiah said. Regarding the arrest of Akhila Karnataka Police Mahasangha president V Shashidhar, he said Shashidhar was a dismissed policeman trying to bring disrepute to the department. Mr Siddaramaiah was at Narasimharaja Pura in Chikkamagaluru to lay the foundation stone for various development works.
KJP president slams media in presence of CM
Stung by the sting operation to expose a ‘Cash for Vote’ deal for the coming Rajya Sabha poll by a major English news channel, KJP MLA , B.R. Patil on Friday abused the media before Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and staged a dharna in front of the Kengal Hanumanthaiah statue in the grounds of the Vidhana Soudha.
Sighting the media close by while speaking to the Chief Minister, Mr Patil let lose a volley of abuse accusing journalists of doing as they pleased just because they had access to a television channel. “If something should happen to my family as a fallout of these accusations, the media will be responsible,” he warned. Pacifying him, Mr Siddaramaiah assured he would look into the issue.
Later, speaking to reporters at the Legislators' Home, Mr Patil claimed he had lived a clean life but was being defamed deliberately and threatened to file a defamation suit against those involved in the sting operation.
Giving his side of the story, he said he was approached by two persons who claimed to be businessmen from New Delhi and wanted to discuss the Rajya Sabha elections with him. ''As I did not entertain them at first , they got JD(S) national general secretary, Danish Ali to put in a word. So I met them two or three times and had some casual conversation. Later, I stopped receiving their calls. During our conversation I joked about the 'match', but never demanded money. I want a thorough investigation into this,'' he demanded, adding, “I don't know them, but have their phone numbers. So I will find out more and file a defamation case against them.
