Congress asks PM to probe bribe charges

‘Money from petrol-diesel loot used to poach MLAs’

New Delhi, May 20: The Congress on Sunday launched a scathing attack on the BJP for allegedly attempting horse-trading in Karnataka and demanded that Prime Minster Narendra Modi order a probe into efforts made by his party leaders to bribe and induce Congress and JD(S) legislators ahead of yesterday's trust vote.

“We hope the Prime Minister will order an investigation into the naked dance of corruption which his party MLAs were indulging in... The Prime Minister should prove his commitment to fighting corruption by launching an investigation into those MLAs who openly called Congress and JD(S) MLAs and offered bribes with an intention to break the rock solid coalition of the Congress and the JD(S),” Congress spokesperson Jaiveer Shergill told reporters here.

The opposition attack came a day B.S. Yeddyurappa stepped down as the Karnataka chief minister without facing a Supreme Courtmandated trust vote.

Taking a swipe at Mr Modi, the Congress leader said, “Ultimately, democracy won over Modicracy. Votes won over notes. The people’s power won over muscle power. Yeddyurappa is no martyr, he is a corrupt politician who wanted to hijack Karnataka assembly by corrupt means but ultimately the people of Karnataka stopped their plan.”

According to Mr Shergill, the Congress would work with its partners as had been earlier said by party president Rahul Gandhi to stitch a coalition to make the “central government free from BJP” and free from hate politics. “The truth is in 2014, a slogan in India was 'ghar ghar Modi'. In 2019, the Congress will ensure it is 'bye bye Modi’. Today, we are making friends and NDA is making enemies,” he said.

Claiming that the government had looted the country of Rs 10 lakh crore by raising excise duty on diesel and petrol, Mr Shergill said the "loot” was used to poach MLAs in Karnataka and come to power. PTI