Controversy over Diwali cash gifts for scribes part of Congress 'Toolkit': Karnataka CM Bommai

Denying that he had issued any instructions to distribute gifts to journalists, Bommai said that Congress has no moral right to comment on the issue

Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Sunday rubbished allegations that his office tried to bribe some journalists by sending them Rs 1 lakh to Rs 2.5 lakh cash gifts, along with sweet box, on Deepavali, terming it a lie and part of the ‘Congress toolkit’.

Bommai told reporters that the matter was before the Lokayukta and let the truth come out. “This (allegations) is the result of Congress’ toolkit, they are trying to manufacture a lie. I have not given any instructions to anyone (to give cash gifts),” he shot back in response to a question regarding Deepavali cash gifts to journalists from his office.

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He charged that when the Congress was in power, what gifts were given by various people are clearly known, and the media had reported it, whether it was iPhones or laptops or gold coins.
“What morality do they (Congress) have? Above all, someone has filed a complaint in this regard to Lokayukta and the agency will investigate. It is not right to interpret that the gifts were given or all journalists have taken it. Yesterday (On Saturday), a Congress spokesperson interpreted it very wrongly. I condemn it,” he asserted.

Soon after the issue started doing rounds on social media, a non-governmental organisation ‘Janaadhikara Sanghasha Parishath’ lodged a complaint with the Lokayukta against the chief minister alleging that he paid a bribe to the journalists in the guise of Deepavali gift.

The complainants R Adarsh Iyer, Prakash Babu B K and Vishwanath V B of the JSP said chief reporters of several media houses were paid bribes by the chief minister through his close aide, and some of them informed their higher-ups in their organisations and returned the money.