K'taka BJP MLA says honey trap video charge conspiracy to wrest his constituency  

Bengaluru, July 24 (IANS) Former minister and BJP MLA from R.R. Nagar, Munirathna Naidu, who has been accused of honey trapping local politicians to win the elections, said that it is a conspiracy against him to wrest his constituency.

Speaking to reporters, Munirathna stated that Velu Naikar was used to make allegations against him. “Those who were with me have joined the Congress party and are making serious allegations. Rather, I should say, they have been asked to make allegations. The objective is to defame me in R.R. Nagar constituency and bring another candidate,” he said.

“They could have joined the Congress before the assembly elections. Why have they gone now? If they have gone now after making me a legislator, there must be a conspiracy. I have scolded them not to make personal comments. They had discussed last month how we should defeat opponents in the coming elections. Now, they are making these charges. The allegations are not made by them, they are forced to issue statements,” Munirathna stated.

“Let them conduct themselves honourably in the party they have joined. They should not talk like this,” he said.  

Velu Naikar, a former corporator who joined the Congress, has made these allegations and his speech has gone viral on social media. 

“BJP MLA Munirathna has a studio set up to carry out honey traps. The leaders would be invited and they would be honey trapped and later the leaders would be blackmailed with the recordings,” Naikar had alleged.

“Munirathna is a film producer. His first film was ‘Aunty Preet se’ (Aunty, love me). Hence, after he became a minister, only aunties were found in Vikasa Soudha, Vidhana Soudha and chamber. The studios are also set up in J.P. Park and Dollars Colony. It is common for him to honey trap and blackmail,” Naikar had stated.

Velu Naikar added that Munirathna used to threaten leaders that he had got their "eastman colour pictures" and get them to work for him.

Naikar had made these remarks when BJP leaders joined the Congress on Sunday in the presence of defeated candidate Kusuma Hanumantarayappa.

Munirathna had won with a margin of 11,842 votes over Kusuma in the 2023 Assembly elections. In the 2020 by-elections, he had won by 58,113 votes. 

The development has raised concerns and triggered a controversy while also putting the BJP state unit in a fix.