Deepavali 'cash gifts' to journalists: CM Bommai call its a 'lie', part of Congress' toolkit
Bengaluru (PTI): Following allegations that his office tried to bribe some journalists by sending Rs 1 lakh cash gifts to them on Deepavali, along with sweet boxes, Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Sunday denying his role, called it a "lie" and part of the "Congress' toolkit".
The Chief Minister said someone has filed a complaint before the Lokayukta on the issue, and let the investigation happen and truth come out.
The Congress on Saturday alleged that Bommai tried to bribe journalists by sending Rs 1 lakh cash gifts to them on Deepavali and demanded the registration of a graft case as well as his resignation. It also sought for judicial inquiry into allegations.
"This is the result of Congress' tool kit, they are trying to create a lie. I have not given any instructions to anyone (to give cash gifts)," Bommai said in response to a question regarding Deepavali cash gifts to journalists from his office, Congress' tweets in this regard and journalists in general are being looked at like "thieves" because of this.
Speaking to reporters here, he said when the Congress was in power, what gifts were given by various people are "clearly known", and the media had reported it, whether it was iPhones or laptops or gold coins.
"What morality do they (Congress) have? Above all, someone has filed a complaint in this regard to Lokayukta and Lokayukta will investigate. It is not right to interpret that the gifts were given or all journalists have taken it. Yesterday, a Congress spokesperson interpreted it very wrongly. I condemn it," he added.
Reiterating that he had given no instructions to send out any gifts for journalists, Bommai further in response to a question, whether he will order for any inquiry as his own office is facing an allegation, said, "The matter is before the Lokayukta, it has a police agency, let the truth come out from the inquiry." A non-government organisation 'Janaadhikara Sanghasha Parishath' has lodged a complaint with the Karnataka Lokayukta against the Chief Minister alleging that he paid a bribe to the journalists in the guise of Deepavali gift.
The complainants R Adarsh Iyer, Prakash Babu B K and Vishwanath V B of the JSP said chief reporters of several media houses were paid bribes by the Chief Minister through his close aide, and some of them informed their higher-ups in their organisations and returned the money.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
PM Modi cancelled Kashmir visit after receiving intelligence report on terror attack, alleges Kharge
Ranchi, May 6 (PTI): Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Tuesday claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had cancelled his Kashmir visit after "receiving an intelligence report three days before" the Pahalgam terror attack last month.
Noting that during an all-party meeting, the Centre accepted "intelligence failure" in the Pahalgam carnage, Kharge said the union government should be held accountable for "not reinforcing" security arrangements in Kashmir to protect people, even after such inputs.
Reacting to Kharge's allegation, the BJP claimed that the Congress president's criticism of PM Modi over alleged intelligence failure in the Pahalgam terror attack was intended to "lower the morale of security forces".
Jharkhand BJP chief Babulal Marandi said that Kharge's comment at a critical time when the "fight against terrorism and Pakistan was at a decisive juncture" was "uncalled for".
Addressing a 'Samvidhan Bachao' rally in Jharkhand's capital, Ranchi, the Congress chief claimed that he "got information that three days before the attack, an intelligence report was sent to Modi ji, and that is why Modi ji cancelled his visit to Kashmir".
"When an intelligence report says that it is not proper to visit there for your security, why did you not inform your security, intelligence, local police, and border force to protect people," the Congress chief asked.
He also claimed, "When you (PM) got the information, you cancelled your programme but did not send more forces to protect tourists there."
Twenty-six people, mostly tourists, were killed in the Pahalgam terror attack on April 22.
Kharge claimed, "India is faced with a huge crisis. The Centre accepted the intelligence failure during the all-party meeting. You (PM Modi) admitted that there was an intelligence flaw. When the Centre knew about the possible terror strike, why did it not put in place a system to protect people?"
"Shouldn't the Centre be accountable for the loss of lives in the Pahalgam attack when it accepted the intelligence failure," he asked.
Kharge asserted that the Congress stands behind the Centre for "any action against Pakistan after the Pahalgam attack" as the country is "supreme and beyond party, religion and caste".
He claimed, "We fight for India, poor people, tribals", but the BJP and the PM believed "only in 'jumla' (rhetoric)".
Kharge also alleged that Modi's policy is to "close public sector institutions, like HEC in Ranchi, and snatch jobs from SC, ST, OBC communities".
There were 30 lakh job vacancies, but the government was "silent" on it, he claimed.
Kharge accused the Centre of unleashing forces, like the ED, against Congress leader Sonia Gandhi, who made "efforts to sustain a paper" like the National Herald, which played a "crucial role in India's Independence struggle".
"Unlike any Jana Sangh, RSS or BJP leader, several Congress leaders, including former PM Jawaharlal Nehru, were imprisoned. Now, these people are teaching us the lesson of patriotism," he said.
Kharge alleged that agencies like ED were "misused to scare opposition leaders" and said that only two persons were penalised in around 200 cases.
Alleging that the prime minister was "instrumental" in sending a tribal CM (Hemant Soren) behind bars, Kharge said, "PM Modi shouldn't indulge in practices to frighten tribal leaders".
The Congress chief said he has written to the PM, requesting him to carry out the caste census at the earliest after holding a dialogue with all political parties on this issue.
"In a letter to the PM, I have urged him to remove the 50 per cent cap on reservation by a constitutional amendment and immediately implement Article 15(5) providing for reservations for SCs, STs and OBCs in institutions," he said.
The Jharkhand BJP hit out at Kharge for his attack on the PM over the Pahalgam attack, claiming that the Congress chief's criticism of PM Modi over alleged intelligence failure was intended to "lower the morale of security forces".
"The Congress is indulging in politics at a time when the country stands with PM Modi in the fight against terror", BJP's Marandi said.
