'Bribe bid' by BJP chief: Manippady denies but K'taka CM sticks to guns

NT Correspondent

Gadag

With Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah claiming that former State Minorities Commission (KSMC) Chairman Anwar Manippady was going back on his word with regard to the Rs 150 crore bribe allegations made against BJP state president BY Vijayendra, the episode is likely to become a full-blown controversy and more so with the winter session of the state Assembly now going on. Earlier, Manippady told Kannada news channel TV9 that the allegations made by Siddaramaiah and Information Technology and Bio-Technology (IT-BT) Minister Priyank Kharge against Vijayendra were false. They had alleged that the former KSMC Chairman had detailed how Vijayendra had offered him a Rs 150 crore bribe to not disclose large scale waqf encroachments in Karnataka.

Manipaddy insisted that Vijayendra hadn’t offered him any bribe, adding that Congressmen had done so instead. The CM accused Manippady of doing a U-turn, alleging that he had made the bribe claims against Vijayendra in a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP national president JP Nadda. “First and foremost, Vijayendra never came to my house. Moreover, I submitted this report in 2012-13. When I did that, Vijayendra wasn’t in the scene. I knew who he was but I hadn’t met him. When he was the (BJP) vice president, we later discussed it. I had asked him why his father isn’t presenting my report. During those discussions, we never offered me Rs 150 crore,” Manippady told TV9. “About 90 per cent of what he (Siddaramaiah) is saying is baseless. Yesterday, he said CBI should probe the matter. If he has any affection for minorities, let him (hand it to CBI). Notices had been issued for 1.6 lakh acres.

The waqf board oversees 54,000 acres. Of it, 25,000 to 28,000 acres have been captured and the rest remains. Tell us where this 1.6 lakh acres came from. They gave notices to please Muslims. Why did they withdraw them later? This shows how truthful they are. Now, they say they’ll give it to the CBI. Let them,” Manippady said. “He (Manippady) said this (Vijayendra bribe claim) on record. There is a video record of this. He himself said it on video. He wrote a letter to the Prime Minister and Nadda,” the CM reiterated.

Vijayendra rejects claim he tried to 'bribe'

Karnataka BJP president B Y Vijayendra on Sunday strongly dismissed Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and ruling Congress leaders' charges that he attempted to "bribe" former state Minority Commission chairperson Anwar Manippady to hush up his report on the Waqf encroachments." "As the then chief minister's son, why should I go to Manippady's house and offer Rs 150 crore? That too to save Congress leaders? Is there any logic in this (allegation)?" Vijayendra asked.