Karnataka BJP doesn't have the guts to take action on graft like us: AAP

Bengaluru, Jan 17 (IANS) The Aam Aadmi Party's Karnataka unit on Tuesday charged the state's ruling BJP with "not having the guts" to take action in corruption issues like its governments did.

AAP leader Brijesh Kalappa said Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai does not have the guts to take action against corrupt people, like the Aam Aadmi Party governments.

Though the State Contractors' Association has flagging the 40 per cent commission racket of the BJP government and MLAs, the government has remained silent without conducting any investigation, he said.

Addressing a press conference at the party's state office, Kalappa said: "State Contractors' Association President Kempanna held a press conference and exposed the corruption of Chitradurga's BJP MLA G.H. Thippareddy.

"It has been revealed that Thippareddy had received a commission of Rs 90 lakh from contractor Manjunath. Kempanna, who has been consistently fighting against 40 per cent corruption, had also complained to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

"But the BJP's governments at both central and state, have not conducted even a small investigation into this matter. Why is Narendra Modi, who used to mock former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for being silent, not speaking about the 40 per cent commission corruption of the state's BJP government?" Kalappa questioned.

"Vijay Singla, Health Minister in the AAP government in Punjab, was accused of receiving 1 per cent commission. The AAP government immediately sacked him and ordered a probe.

"The police immediately arrested him. However, in Karnataka, no action has been taken against the MLAs and ministers despite continuous allegations against them," he said.

Kalappa asked why in the run-up to the elections, was the BJP government copying the AAP government's schemes related to education and health and not copying the anti-corruption stand? "The BJP leaders are trying to cover up the illegality by asking for evidence for the allegations made by Kempanna. How can there be evidence for such irregularities that happen at night instead of day time?" he said.

"If the corruption is curbed on the lines of the Aam Aadmi Party, a huge amount of money will be saved. With this, free schemes can be implemented. The Aam Aadmi Party governments in Delhi and Punjab have proved this. Corrupt parties like the Congress and the BJP can only promise free schemes but they can't implement them," Kalappa claimed.