Vishwanath misused funds given by BJP for Hunsur bypoll: Party MP

Chamarajanagar BJP MP V Srinivas Prasad on Friday hit back at his partyman MLC A H Vishwanath over gypsy remark saying that he had used just Rs 5 crore of the Rs 15 crore given by the party for Hunsur bypolls and spent the remaining amount to build bars and petrol bunks for his sons.

"I don't need lessons from Vishwanath who diverted election funds for his personal gain. He does not have the moral right to criticise me," the MP told reporters.

Reacting to Vishwanath's comment that BJP through him (Prasad) and party state vice president B Y Vijayendra offered him money to quit JD(S) and join the saffron party, the Chamarajanagar MP said, " I did not invite Vishwanath to join the BJP. He himself had come to my house saying that he was feeling suffocated in the JD(S) and that he wanted to join the BJP. I had then told him to talk to Yediyurappa."

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It was Vishwanath who took the JD(S) and Congress MLAs to Mumbai. Yediyurappa had asked Vishwanath not to contest Hunsur bypoll with a promise of making him MLC and minister. But Vishwanath went ahead, contested the bypoll and lost the elections, Prasad said.

On Vishwanath calling him Alemari Raja (king of gypsies), Prasad said, "People call me Swabhimani Chakravarthy (emperor of self-respect) and Muthsadhdhi (senior statesman) for having a spotless political track record for over five decades."

Equating Vishwanath to the dog, Prasad said he's not just a barking dog, he bites too.

Prasad said, "Vishwanath left the Congress as Siddaramaiah did not give him either money or power. He left JD(S) as he was unable to get tickets for people of his choice in local body elections, Prasad said adding now, he is knocking on Congress doors to further his son's political career.