The channel claims the money was a bribe for passing a tender worth Rs 7 crore
The channel claims the money was a bribe for passing a tender worth Rs 7 crore
Bengaluru
: A Karnataka minister is in the centre of a controversy after a 'sting operation' by a TV channel on Thursday showed his wife allegedly accepting a bribe of Rs. 7 lakh.
The video aired by a channel showed a man keeping currency notes on a table before Minister for Social Welfare Anjaneya's wife in the minister's house.
The channel claims the money was a bribe for passing a tender worth Rs. 7 crore in a particular district and that it had used fake currency notes as part of its sting operation.
Unfazed by the controversy, the minister defended his wife, saying it was a conspiracy to defame him.
-"There is no need for me to take bribe, and my wife is not that kind. She is innocent. There is a conspiracy behind this... I have not come into politics to make easy money, but serve the people,-" he told reporters.
-"I cannot tell who is and who is not behind the conspiracy,-" the minister said, when he was asked whether there was some person or some party behind the incident.
-"I belong to the oppressed community and it is common for us to face such situations. I have been rendering social service, which you (media and people) all have been seeing,-" the minister added.
Reacting to the controversy, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said he was not aware of the sting operation and wouldn't be in a position to talk much about it.
Meanwhile, the Opposition, especially the BJP, demanded the resignation of Mr Siddaramaiah and Mr Anjaneya.
-"Siddaramaiah, who has been claiming that his government is clean, stands exposed in the sting operation. The Chief Minister must immediately resign from the post,-" said Jagadish Shettar, senior BJP leader and former Chief Minister.
Former Deputy Chief Minister and veteran BJP leader KS Eshwarappa also demanded that Mr Anjaneya immediately resigns from his post.
-"I would not like to talk much about whether the minister's wife was involved in accepting bribe or not, but I would suggest the Minister to resign and the Chief Minister initiate an inquiry into the issue,-" he added.
