BENGALURU: Legislators belonging to the ruling coalition accused leaders of BJP of resorting to horse trading in an effort to destabilize the 14 month-old government but members of Opposition BJP maintained stoic silence through the proceedings, on Friday.
Soon after the House assembled today, Speaker K R Ramesh Kumar observed that some people were spreading rumours that he was garnering Rs 12 crores every day for delaying the confidence vote. “I am warning them mildly. There’s a limit to my patience. One should visit my place and see the life I am leading. I am strong enough to withstand such efforts. I am not sitting here to save myself. I am sitting here to take some decisions which will be historic,'' he added.
Later, several legislators raised the issue of crores of rupees changing hands with Mr Srinivas Gowda, legislator of Kolar, alleging that he was given Rs five crores by BJP MLAs Dr Ashwathnarayana, Mr Vishwanath and former minister Mr C P Yogeshwar. “They had offered to pay Rs 30 crores for joining them, but I returned the money to them,'' he added.
At this point, Mr Ramesh Kumar said he was happy about a MLA coming forward with such details. “The other side (BJP) is also free to come out with such details and everything will go to the records. Both sides do not want honest people, and let the future generation, which goes through these records, know what this Assembly has come to,'' he added.
Meanwhile, tourism minister Mr Sa Ra Mahesh said former state JD(S) president Mr A H Vishwanath had leveled certain allegations against him.
