KS Eshwarappa resigned from the post of Rural Development Minister of Karnataka in April 2022.
New Delhi:
The Congress on Friday accused the BJP of supporting corruption after Prime Minister Narendra Modi approached former Karnataka minister KS Eshwarappa, who was denied a party ticket in the upcoming state assembly elections.
The opposition party said it was “unacceptable” for Prime Minister Modi to congratulate Eshwarappa for not rebelling despite being denied an election ticket.
In April 2022, Eshwarappa resigned from the post of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Minister of Karnataka. This resulted in Santosh Patil, a contractor, who ended his life after accusing Eshwarappa of taking 40 per cent commission on public works in Belagavi.
An inquiry later gave a clean chit to Eshwarappa.
The former minister had recently conveyed his desire to retire from electoral politics to the BJP’s central leadership, but is said to have sought a ticket for his son KE Kantesh. However, the party gave ticket to Channabasappa, ignoring the senior leader’s request.
The Congress on Friday said on Twitter, “This man is accused of demanding 40 per cent commission and was forced to resign on corruption charges after BJP worker Santosh Patil committed suicide.” “By praising such corrupt leaders, the BJP is giving a clear message that it supports corruption and illegal activities,” he said.
The attack happened after Eshwarappa shared a video of him talking to PM Modi on the phone. In the video, the Prime Minister can be heard saying, “You have shown your commitment to the party. I am very happy with you. So, I decided to talk to you.” PM Modi is also heard saying that he will meet Eshwarappa whenever he visits election-bound Karnataka. In response, Eshwarappa told the Prime Minister that the BJP would win the assembly elections to be held on May 10.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)