In the backdrop of opposition Congress MLA BR Patil's corruption charge against housing schemes for the poor, the Bharatiya Janata Party in Karnataka on Sunday announced that it would organise an agitation in the state. The party, however, did not indicate the date when it would organise the agitation.
BJP state president BY Vijayendra stated that Patil's remark brought to light corruption rampant in the government. Patil, who is also the Deputy Chairman of the Karnataka State Policy and Planning Commission, had accused bribery in housing allotment in a telephonic conversation with Housing Minister BZ Zameer Ahmed Khan's private secretary, Sarfaraz Khan.
The audio of the conversation went viral, bringing embarrassment to the Congress government in power. The MLA of Aland afterwards attested that the voice in the audio was his.
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"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 said on Saturday.
He insisted that he spoke nothing but the truth.
In response, Vijayendra informed the media persons, "Senior leader and Congress MLA BR Patil has shed light upon the serious situation prevailing in the state. Patil has revealed the corruption prevalent in the department responsible for offering housing facilities to the poor." Vijayendra, being an MLA from Shikaripura too, accused the ruling party leaders of attempting to intimidate Patil.
"One thing is certain — this Congress government has turned out to be a bane for the poor masses of the state. The Siddaramaiah government is not acting in the interest of the poor," the BJP state president said.
He claimed that during his father BS Yediyurappa's time as chief minister, a number of pro-people initiatives were taken.
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Vijayendra accused the present administration of being corrupt. "This is a corruption-friendly state government. In Karnataka, there is sponsored corruption. All this is now unfolding in the light of BR Patil's admission," he added, and further said that "the BJP will hit the streets on this issue."
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