The Congress, alleging that Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai tried to “bribe” journalists by sending Rs 1 lakh cash gifts to them on Diwali, demanded his resignation and registration of a graft case against him, PTI reported. The Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) demanded a judicial inquiry into what it called “Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) ‘sweet box bribe’ to journalists”.
Senior Congress leader Randeep Surjewala said, “The Bommai government’s bribegate is now out in the open and this time the responsibility lies at the doorstep of the chief minister himself.”
“This time, Mr Bommai has surreptitiously, overtly and in a conspiratorial fashion tried to bribe the entire journalistic fraternity by sending 1 lakh cash to every journalist in Karnataka. Hats off to our journalist friends who openly exposed the bribegate,” he told reporters, as quoted by PTI.
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“CM Bommai has been caught red-handed in the bribery to journalists scam. A case of corruption under prevention of corruption act for offering bribes has to be registered against Mr. Bommai and he has to resign immediately,” Surjewala said.
However, Bommai has said he is unaware of the “cash” gifts to journalists, PTI reported, citing Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) sources.
Calling the Bommai government a “40 per cent government”, Surjewala said in a tweet, “The 40 Percent Sarkar seeks to bribe the journalists with 1 Lakh cash! Will Mr. Bommai answer- 1. Isn’t it “bribe” being offered by CM? 2. What is the source of ?1,00,000? Has it come from Public Exchequer or from CM himself? 3. Will ED/IT take note? (sic)”
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The Congress had earlier launched a “PayCM”, “SayCM.com” campaigns targeting the Bommai and the BJP government over alleged unfulfilled promises made by the party in the 2018 poll manifesto.