Sting video: Congress asks disqualification of BJP's Karnataka candidate, Sriramulu
In a petition to Election Commission, Congress today has asked the BJP candidate B Sriramulu be disqualified from fighting the Karnataka assembly polls. The move comes after Congress on Thursday released two videos from 2010 showing Sriramulu and G Janardhana Reddy allegedly bargaining a bribe amount with a relative of a former Chief Justice of India, purportedly intending to influence the mining case verdict.
The videos purportedly recorded conversations between a former CJI's son-in-law, Sriramalu and Reddy. Sriramulu is fighting Karnataka elections from two constituencies Molakalmuru and Badami (against incumbent CM Siddaramaiah). He is said to be a close associate of Reddy, a tainted mining baron, and his brother. Demanding his disqualification, Congress MP Kapil Sibal claimed the video is a clear evidence of corruption.
"Will the BJP withdraw these candidates?... The PM needs to respond,'' said Karnataka Congress state working president Dinesh Gundu Rao. Another Congress leader Ramalinga Reddy claimed it was "an example of the way BJP ran the government from 2008 to 2013." The 'sting' videos were televised on a local news channel and later released by the Congress party.
"Many fake sting videos surface. Don't believe them blindly. Instead, rather verify it. There is no need to believe what the Congress is saying," Amit Shah said in a press conference.
