K'taka BJP chief rejects charge that he attempted to bribe Manippady

NT Correspondent

Bengaluru

Karnataka BJP President B Y Vijayendra on Sunday strongly dismissed Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and ruling Congress leaders' charges that he attempted to bribe former state Minority Commission Chairperson Anwar Manippady to hush up his report on the Waqf encroachments. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah in a statement on Saturday said that Manippady had publicly stated that Vijayendra visited his house during Yediyurappa's tenure as CM and offered Rs 150 crore to be silent about the Waqf property encroachment report.

Meanwhile, Manippady has denied that no such offer was made to him by Vijayendra while Home Minister G Parameshwara stated that there was video footage showing Manippady making such charge. Questioning whether there was any logic in the allegation, Vijayendra said, the Congress and Siddaramaiah seem to be "perturbed" by the allegations of corruption and scam against them, especially by the MUDA site allotment case against the CM. "This is a shameless government, its leaders, ministers, and legislators, I have seen their statements, they seem to have lost their mind. When B S Yediyurappa was CM and BJP government was in power Anwar Manippady had submitted a report on Waqf regarding irregularities committed during the previous Congress government and its leaders," Vijayendra said.

Speaking to reporters here, he said, "As the then Chief Minister's son, why should I go to Anwar Manippady's house and offer Rs 150 crore? That too to save Congress leaders? Is there any logic in this (allegation)?" The state BJP chief said if the Congress wants to use this issue to waste the time of the legislature during the ongoing session, it is nothing but the "height of stupidity". The government which is in the midst of corruption allegations and scams is trying to waste time, he further alleged. "I have not seen Anwar Manippady's statement. Is there any meaning in the allegations (made by CM and Congress leaders)? What Priyank Kharge has said is meaningless, if the CM is speaking using what he (Kharge) has said, I don't know what to say. It seems to be true that CM is perturbed," he said.

Stating that he will respond to the allegations if raised in the Assembly, Vijayendra said, "by creating imaginary things, if they feel that they can make opposition and Vijayendra succumb to it, we are ready to take it as a challenge and respond to it." Demanding a CBI probe, the CM in his statement on Saturday said that Manippady has further stated that he sent Vijayendra out of his house when he offered money, and reported the incident to PM Narendra Modi and the BJP President.