BJP legislator retracts bribery charge against Chief Minister

Almost a week after levelling bribery charges against Karnataka Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy, BJP legislator Janardhan Reddy retracted his statement that the Chief Minister had collected Rs 1.5 billion from mine owners in Bellary district of the State.

Addressing a press conference in Bangalore on Friday, Reddy, a member of the Legislative Council, said he had merely spoken about the misuse of Chief Minister’s name by the mining lobby. “I meant that day-light robbery was being committed in the name of the Chief Minister”, he said seeking to withdraw his allegation that Kumaraswamy had accepted a bribe of Rs 1.5 billion from mine owners in Bellary district.

Reddy’s allegation had sowed discord between the ruling coalition partners and threatened the JD (S)-BJP Government in Karnataka.

Reddy, who had gone hammer and tongs against Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy and Forest Minister C Chennigappa for accepting a bribe from the mine owners, declined to field any questions from the reporters during the press conference.

BJP Ministers Jagadish Shettary, Katta Subramanya Naidu and Sriramulu hurriedly escorted Reddy out of the press conference venue. It was, however, apparent that Reddy withdrew his allegation in the face of pressure from the BJP leadership. For, he withdrew the allegation soon after his return from New Delhi, where he met senior party leaders.