BJP offered money, I refused: BJP MLA Shrimant Patil drops bomb, makes U-turn

Mangalore Today News Network / NDTV

Belagavi, Sep 13, 2021: Karnataka BJP MLA Shrimant Patil had dropped a bomb saying he was offered money to join the party to topple the previous JDS-Congress government. He has now issued a clarification saying he voluntarily joined the BJP.

 

Shrimant Patil has claimed that BJP offered him money to quit the Congress and change sides to join BJP, but he refused to take a single penny.

“Without a single penny, I’ve joined BJP. BJP used to ask me how much money I want. Even then I didn’t take a single paisa,” said Shrimant Patil, who defected from Congress. Patil was appointed a minister in the BS Yediyurappa cabinet.

Patil has now issued a clarification saying, “They didn’t offer me money. It was the wrong use of words. No one tried to lure me. I voluntarily came to BJP because of my principles.”

Karnataka Congress leader DK Shivakumar hit out at BJP and sought a probe over the claims made by Patil. In a tweet, Shivakumar said, “Sri Shrimant Patil has spoken the truth. The BJP had indeed attempted to lure Sri Shrimant Patil, a former minister using Operation Kamala. I congratulate him for speaking up on this matter. The ACB must immediately investigate this and take action against those who subvert.”

Shrimant Patil was one of the 16 MLAs from the Congress and JDS government of HD Kumaraswamy who switched sides to join the BJP in 2019, bringing down the coalition government. BS Yediyurappa was soon sworn in as the new Karnataka chief minister.

Courtesy:India Today