Lokayukta report has cleared previous BJP govt from 40% commission charges, claim party leaders
Bengaluru (PTI): The BJP in Karnataka on Sunday claimed that the Lokayukta probe has cleared the party's previous government from 40 per cent commission charges, and that the allegations levelled by the Congress against it as completely "false".
The BJP leaders said that it is proved that the 40 per cent commission allegation was part of the Congress' "tool kit".
During the 2023 Assembly polls, the then opposition Congress had used the Karnataka State Contractors' Association 40 per cent commission charge as a major weapon to corner the then BJP government, which is said to be one among the factors that led to the saffron party's debacle in the election.
"....it is proved that the 40 per cent commission allegation made against BJP is false. We have come out of it....Congress using the (the then) state contractors' association president Kempanna and vice president as its tool kit, had alleged that the government was taking 40 per cent commission. A case was registered based on that, and the truth has now come out, " Leader of Opposition R Ashoka said.
Speaking to reporters here, he said the contractor (R Ambikapathy), who had made allegations against the then government and had claimed to have given the commission, had in fact not worked as a contractor for six years.
"So this contractor and other unemployed contractors became part of a Congress tool kit and made allegations against the Basavaraj Bommai government calling us 40 per cent Sarakara (government). BJP workers questioned us about the allegations, today they are happy that this was bogus and a tool kit of Congress and Siddaramaiah (then leader of opposition)," he alleged.
Pointing out that the Congress government was unable to prove the charges in the last sixteen months after coming to power, Ashoka said they have not submitted the documents in the High Court, where the case is on.
"...Now the Lokayuukta has given the clean chit stating that when one has not worked as a contractor for six years, where is the question of giving a commission...." he said.
The current Siddaramaiah-led Congress government is "60 per cent commission government", he further alleged and said, "We have given evidence for our allegation, but they (Congress) had not, when they made allegations against BJP". He citied Karnataka Maharshi Valmiki Scheduled Tribes Development Corporation scam, MUDA scam, among others, and hit out at Siddaramaiah.
Veteran BJP leader and former CM B S Yediyurappa, speaking to reporters in Shivamogga, said, "Lokayukta probe itself has said it (allegations were false). I appeal to them (Congress leaders) to speak carefully hereon, understanding that making such false allegations is of no use."
In Hubballi, Union Minister Pralhad Joshi said the ruling Congress should apologise for making false allegations.
"We have been saying since the beginning that the 40 per cent commission allegation is false. Now Lokayukta is said to have come to the conclusion and has prepared a report. I have seen media reports on it...," he said.
Earlier in the day, reacting to BJP's claims, Home Minister G Parameshwara said he was not aware about the basis of such claims.
Hitting back at the BJP, the minister said it is wrong to say that Congress came to power only because of the 40 per cent commission campaign against the then BJP government, as there were also guarantee schemes among other things.
"It may be BJP's claim that Congress came to power by constantly levelling 40 per cent commission charge against the previous BJP government.
"The then state contractors' association president Kempanna, who is now no more, had written to the PM alleging corruption and 40 per cent commission was being collected, during the BJP government. Based on it, Congress as a party, in the interest of the people, had taken up the issue," he added.
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FBI searches home of former Trump national security adviser John Bolton, AP source says
Washington, Aug 22 (AP): The FBI is searching the Maryland home of John Bolton, who served in President Donald Trump's first administration as national security adviser but later became critical of the president, as part of an investigation into the handling of classified information, a person familiar with the matter said Friday.
Bolton was not detained and has not been charged with any crimes, said the person, who was not authorised to discuss the investigation by name and spoke to The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity.
Messages left with a spokesperson for Bolton and the White House were not immediately returned. A lawyer who has represented Bolton had no immediate comment.
The Justice Department also had no comment, but leaders appeared to cryptically refer to the search of Bolton's home in a series of social media posts Friday morning.
FBI Director Kash Patel, who in a 2023 book he wrote included Bolton in a list of “members of the Executive Branch Deep State,” posted on X: “NO ONE is above the law… @FBI agents on mission.” Attorney General Pam Bondi shared his post, adding: “America's safety isn't negotiable. Justice will be pursued. Always.”
The search of Bolton's home comes as the Trump administration has taken steps to examine the activities of other perceived adversaries of the Republican president, including by authorising a grand jury investigation into the origins of the Trump-Russia probe.
Officials are also conducting mortgage fraud investigations into Democratic Sen Adam Schiff of California and New York Attorney General Letitia James, who brought a civil fraud lawsuit against Trump and his company, and ex-Trump prosecutor Jack Smith faces an investigation from an independent watchdog office.
Schiff and James have vigorously denied any wrongdoing through their lawyers.
In an ABC interview earlier this month, Bolton was asked about whether he was worried about the Trump administration taking action against him.
Bolton said Trump had “already come after” him by taking away his security detail, and he added: “I think it is a retribution presidency.”
Bolton served as Trump's third national security adviser for 17 months and clashed with him over Iran, Afghanistan and North Korea. He faced scrutiny during the first Trump administration over a book he wrote about his time in government that officials argued disclosed classified information, but the Justice Department in 2021 abandoned its lawsuit and dropped a separate grand jury investigation.
Bolton's lawyers have said he moved forward with the book after a White House National Security Council official, with whom Bolton had worked for months, said the manuscript no longer contained classified information.
On his first day back in office this year, Trump revoked the security clearances of more than four dozen former intelligence officials, including Bolton.
Bolton was also among a group of former Trump officials whose security details were cancelled by Trump earlier this year.
Bolton's scathing book, “The Room Where It Happened,” portrayed Trump as grossly ill-informed about foreign policy and said he “saw conspiracies behind rocks, and remained stunningly uninformed on how to run the White House, let alone the huge federal government.”
Trump responded by slamming Bolton as a “crazy” war-monger who would have led the country into “World War Six.”
Bolton served as US ambassador to the United Nations under President George W Bush and also held positions in President Ronald Reagan's administration. He had considered running for president in 2012 and 2016.
In 2022, an Iranian operative was charged in a plot to kill Bolton in presumed retaliation for a January 2020 US airstrike that killed the country's most powerful general.
Bolton had by then left the Trump administration but tweeted, “Hope this is the first step to regime change in Tehran.”
