Bribe charge over Waqf report: Priyank Kharge to approach Home Minister seeking probe into allegations against Vijayendra

Vijayendra seeks CBI probe into allegations as well as the Upa Lokayukta report on the basis of Manippady’s findings

Upping the ante with respect to allegations that BJP State President B.Y. Vijayendra had tried to offer ₹150 crore to the then Minorities Commission chairman Anwar Manippady to hush up his report on encroachment of Waqf properties, RDPR Minister Priyank Kharge on Monday (December 16, 2024) said he would approach Home Minister G. Parameshwara seeking a probe into the episode even as Mr. Vijayendra demanded a CBI probe.

At a press conference in Belagavi, the minister played a few video clips in which Mr. Manippady made such allegations against Vijayendra.

“We must know why and on whose behalf Mr. Vijayendra offered bribe to hush up the report. Also, why did BJP leaders not act even though Mr. Manippady wrote letters in this regard to the party’s top leaders,” he questioned.

“Let our agencies conduct a preliminary inquiry into such allegations,” he said, when asked if the government would handover the issue to the CBI.

Ruckus in the Assembly

Earlier, the Legislative Assembly witnessed noisy scenes over such allegations as Mr. Vijayendra challenged the government to seek a CBI probe into the bribery allegations against him.

Pointing out that the then Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa had ordered an inquiry by the Upa Lokayukta on the basis of Manippady’s report, he said the Upa Lokayukta had submitted the report in 2016 when there was a Congress government led by Mr. Siddaramaiah in the State. The State Cabinet had then rejected the report, he pointed out.

Mr. Vijayendra demanded that the proposed CBI probe should also cover the Upa Lokayukta’s report. The government should also hand over the enquiry into irregularities in allotment of sites by MUDA to the chief minister’s wife to the CBI, he demanded.

He termed the allegations against him as a continuation of conspiracy to politically finish off his father.

While Mr. Kharge maintained that he had only referred to the media reports on such allegations, Revenue Minister Krishna Byregowda accused Mr. Vijayendra of indulging in a political speech rather than clarifying on the allegations leveled against him.

Pointing out that Mr. Vijayendra had been given a time slot that was dedicated to the debate on North Karnataka issues, Mr. Krishna Byregowda urged him to confine to the clarification part only.

This triggered a heated exchange of words between the members of the ruling and Opposition parties for some time.

Published - December 16, 2024 04:28 pm IST