◗ Cong: PM must order probe in BJP’s horse- trading bid

A day after ousting the BJP government in Karnataka, the Congress on Sunday demanded that Prime Minister Narendra Modi order a probe into efforts made by his party leaders to bribe and induce Congress and JD( S) legislators ahead of Saturday’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 in a press conference.

Before the all important trust vote in the Karnataka Assembly, the Congress had released alleged audio recordings of BJP leaders trying to poach legislators of the Congress and JD( S). The recordings had both monetary allurements and position allurements.

A charge that has been vehemently denied by the BJP.

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

Fearing allurements from the BJP, the Congress and JD( S) had shifted their MLAs out of Karnataka before the crucial trust vote which was supposed to be held on Saturday. Two of Congress MLAs were missing till almost the noon of Saturday, but returned to the Congress flock. Interestingly, the trust vote did not take place as senior BJP leader and chief minister of Karnataka B. S. Yeddyurappa announced his resignation in the Assembly rather than going in for a trust vote.

On Saturday after the resignation of Mr. Yeddyurappa, Congress President Rahul Gandhi attacked the BJP and Prime Minister saying that all tricks were tried to purchase Congress MLAs. A combative Mr. Gandhi accused the Prime Minister of “directly authorising purchasing of MLAs in Karnataka”.

The PM should prove his commitment to fighting corruption by launching an investigation into those MLAs who openly called Cong and JD( S) MLAs and offered bribes... — Jaiveer Shergill,

Congress spokesman