Karnataka BJP to launch agitation against corruption in housing scheme
Bengaluru, Jun 22 (PTI): Against the backdrop of ruling Congress MLA B R Patil's allegation of corruption in the housing schemes for the poor, the BJP in Karnataka on Sunday said it would launch an agitation in the state. However, the party did not specify when it would be held.
BJP state president B Y Vijayendra said Patil's statement exposed corruption prevailing in the government.
Patil, who also serves as the Deputy Chairman of the Karnataka State Policy and Planning Commission, had alleged bribery in the allotment of houses in a phone conversation with Housing Minister B Z Zameer Ahmed Khan's private secretary, Sarfaraz Khan.
The audio clip of the conversation went viral, causing embarrassment to the ruling Congress government.
The Aland MLA later confirmed the voice in the audio was his.
"It is my voice in the audio. I have spoken... I have said whatever I had to. I don't know what the chief minister will do. If he calls me, I will go and speak to him," Patil told reporters on Saturday.
He maintained that he had only spoken the truth.
Reacting to this, Vijayendra told reporters, "Senior leader and Congress MLA B R Patil has thrown light on the grave situation prevailing in the state. Patil has exposed the corruption within the department entrusted with providing housing to the poor."
Vijayendra, who is also an MLA from Shikaripura, alleged that ruling party leaders were trying to intimidate Patil.
"One thing is for sure -- this Congress government has become a curse for the poor people of the state. The Siddaramaiah government is not working in favour of the underprivileged," the BJP state chief said.
He added that when his father B S Yediyurappa was chief minister, several pro-people measures were implemented.
Vijayendra alleged that corruption was rampant in the current administration.
"This is a state government that encourages corruption. There is sponsored corruption in Karnataka. All of this is now coming to light through B R Patil's statement," he said, and added that "the BJP will take to the streets on this issue."
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Karnataka Police seize 1,220 Kerala lottery tickets worth Rs 72,000
Mangaluru (Karnataka) (PTI): Karnataka police seized 1,220 Kerala lottery tickets valued at approximately Rs 72,000 that were being transported for illegal resale, officials said on Tuesday.
They were seized by law enforcement personnel, who intercepted a vehicle carrying the tickets on a route from Bandadka in neighbouring Kerala towards Karnataka, police sources said.
According to police, the accused had allegedly purchased the lottery tickets across the Kerala border and was moving them to Sampaje for resale at marked-up prices, officials said.
The practice of transporting and selling lottery tickets from Kerala is banned under the Karnataka Lottery Prohibition Act, and authorities said the seizure was part of ongoing efforts to crack down on the illegal lottery trade.
The police detained the person found in possession of the tickets during checks conducted as part of regular surveillance near border areas and a case has been registered at the local police station, officials added.
Police noted that despite the state government's ban on lottery sales, Kerala State lottery tickets are often smuggled into Karnataka for unlawful resale, particularly in villages and towns along the Kerala-Karnataka border. Enforcement agencies have stepped up vigilance in recent months to curb the circulation of such tickets.
The arrested individual is likely to be charged under relevant sections of the Karnataka Lottery and Prize Competitions Control and Tax Act. Further investigation is underway, police said.
