Bengaluru: Senior Congress MLA B R Patil on Saturday said that his claims about bribery in the allotment of public housing were true, even as Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar condemned the legislator’s statement and made it clear that such things cannot be accepted.
Patil, who is also the Karnataka State Policy and Planning Commission Deputy Chairman, had alleged bribery in the allotment of houses in a phone conversation with Housing Minister B Z Zameer Ahmed Khan’s private secretary Sarfaraz Khan, causing embarrassment to his own party government in the state. The conversation went viral.
“I don’t accept it for any reason. I have not understood what he (Patil) has said. The matter has come to the notice of the chief minister. He will take necessary action,” Shivakumar told reporters here.
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“When house allotments are happening in a transparent way, how can any beneficiary pay the money? Who makes the decision? It is Panchayats and local bodies. How will this money matter come to the minister in the government? With what intention has he (Patil) spoken? It is not right. I condemn it. The CM and I will speak to him — it is not right. There is no such thing,” he added.
Meanwhile, speaking to reporters, Patil, who is the Congress MLA from Aland said, it is his voice in the audio and that he has spoken the truth.
“It is my voice (in the audio). I have spoken….I have said whatever I have to. I don’t know what the chief minister will do. If he calls me I will go and speak to him,” he said.
“What is negative? I have spoken the truth,” he said, responding to a question.
Asked whether corruption continues in this government, he said, “During all governments it (corruption) has happened, but we (Congress) came to power promising pro-people administration and such things shouldn’t happen.”
To a question about whether houses were allotted on giving money, the MLA said, not in all cases, but in five-six panchayats, an allotment was done after giving money.
“I had given four letters seeking allotments of houses in my constituency and nothing happened, but the Panchayat chairmans have got it done,” he said.
Calling CM Siddaramaiah his leader, Patil said, if the CM calls he will go and speak to him. “I will tell him what has happened.”
When questioned if AICC had sought any clarification, he said, “No. I have not grown to the level of AICC.”
The MLA said such allotment of houses for money have taken place not only in his constituency, but at “most places”.
Reacting to a reported clarification from the Housing Minister that such things might have happened at the gram panchayat level and he was not aware of it, he said, “Let him (minister) get it inquired.”
Hitting out at the BJP for targeting the Congress government using his remarks, the MLA said, “The BJP people are not clean. They are the ones who have done dirty things…even today efforts are on to give a clean administration under Siddaramaiah.”
Opposition BJP, which has latched on to the issue to target the Congress government, demanded Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s reaction.
Union Minister Pralhad Joshi, speaking to reporters, pointed out that Yelburga Congress MLA and Siddaramaiah’s Economic Advisor Basavaraj Rayareddy had earlier said that there is corruption in the government. Also, several ruling party MLAs from north Karnataka have alleged corruption and lack of funds for development, and now this audio has come.
“If we (BJP) allege something, they (CM and Congress) call us liars and say that we don’t have any work to do. They even call us corrupt, accuse us of 40 per cent commission and other things. Let the CM react now,” he said.
Noting that B R Patil, who has the cabinet ranking in this government (Karnataka State Policy and Planning Commission Deputy Chairman) is alleging that without paying money, houses are not allotted, the BJP leader asked, “What are you doing CM — Congress party legislators are alleging corruption, contractors have called it a 60 per cent commission government.”
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