We found the man who bribed MLA Dadesugur: Cong

NT Correspondent

Bengaluru

The state Congress on Monday claimed that they had tracked down the infamous Parasappa from the audio clip in which he had demanded that the Rs 15 lakh bribe that he had allegedly paid BJP MLA from Kanakgiri Basavaraj Dadesugur for a Police Sub Inspector’s (PSI’s) post be returned.

The man claiming to be Parasappa said he hails from Kushtagi taluk of Koppal district. The incident is tied to the larger PSI recruitment scam. In the video, Dadesugur said that he had been interceding on the government’s behalf, adding that he would return the money. The audio had been shared widely last week. Dadesugur had even admitted to the voice being his own in public.

 Congress MLA from Chittapur Priyank Kharge said the BJP had floated fake and doctored audios to deflect from their own wrongdoings. In a video released by the Congress party, a man claiming to be Parasappa is seen saying, “My name is Parasappa Begur from Kushtagi taluk. In the 19-20, 300 PSI posts had been confirmed. Persons associated with MLA Dadesugur namely Yamanurappa Choudagi and Anandappa said that they would help my son land the PSI post.

 Let’s talk about committing to it with Dadesugur, they’d told me. I had said to them, proceed with this only if this is possible, if not leave it.” “The MLA (Dadesugur) said let’s agree to Rs 30 lakh. We paid Rs 15 lakh in August 2020 at the Bangalore MLA quarters. They took us in their car from our hotel. He’d sent his people. There had been the driver, Yamanurappa Choudagi, Yallappa and three or four more people.

We had a meal at around 2 pm. They took the money and told me, Parasappa, if we don’t get this work done, we’ll pay you back,” he added. However, he said after a couple of months he began to ask for the money to be returned. “Thereafter, I asked them for my money back in September. It must have been a month or two after I paid that I started agitating to get my money back. Two years later, they haven’t paid us back. He (Dadesugur) used foul language. He told me do what you want. At other times, he’d say he has given the money to the government,” he said.

“He told me he’d ruin us in 10 minutes. He used vulgar language against us, the kind of language that I can’t repeat. He even sent hooligans after us,” he claimed. Parasappa said he’d even spent all day at a BJP office last year but no help was forthcoming.

Will file PIL: Priyank

Priyank Kharge said that the Congress party was planning to file a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) over the PSI scam, adding that the BJP should respond to these revelations. “Our legal cell is going to file a PIL on behalf of the party.

Given the new developments, we will make some changes to the litigation,” he said. “This case came to light only after the MLA (Dade   sugur) failed to return the money. BJP MLAs and ministers have become brokers. BJP has gone from Bharatiya Janata Party to Brasht (corrupt) Janata Party to Broker Janata Party,” he added.

Koppal District Congress president Shivaraj Tangadi and Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) legal cell head Ponappa were also present during the disclosure