Karnataka: DKS offered Rs 100 crore to malign Modi, says arrested BJP leader

Karnataka BJP leader G Devaraje Gowda, now under arrest, has alleged that Congress deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar offered him Rs 100 crore to malign Prime Minister Narendra Modi over a sex scandal.

Devaraje Gowda, arrested six days ago in a case of sexual harassment, also claimed that the Congress government in the state would collapse if and when he was released from custody.

Government’s collapse?

Speaking to journalists from inside a police vehicle after being sent to judicial custody on Friday, Devaraje Gowda claimed that Shivakumar sent him Rs 5 crore as advance.

"After I refused the offer, police cases were lodged against me and I was arrested. I am ready to expose him (Shivakumar) once I am released. The Congress government is going to collapse in Karnataka," he said

Sex videos

Just before the second round of polling in Karnataka for the Lok Sabha elections, videos of Janata Dal (Secular) leader Prajwal Ravanna emerged allegedly showing him having sex with scores of women.

Ravanna’s uncle is HD Kumaraswamy, the leader of the JD(S) and former chief minister, and a grandson of former Indian prime minister HD Deve Gowda. The JD(S) is allied with Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Shivakumar’s alleged plan

According to Devaraje Gowda, he was told to make a statement that it was Kumaraswamy who circulated the pen drives containing the sex videos involving Revanna.

“But it was Shivakumar who obtained a pen drive from Karthik Gowda, who worked as a driver for Prajwal Revanna, and planned the entire episode," Devaraje Gowda said.

Target Modi

He said a team of four ministers, including Priyank Kharge, son of Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, was formed to handle the scandal. "They had planned in a big way to bring disrepute to Modi, Kumaraswamy and the BJP. They offered me Rs 100 crore and sent Rs 5 crore as advance,” he claimed.

Why arrest?

"Shivakumar made the (monetary) offer to malign Modi by linking him to the sex scandal. Shivakumar's main objective is to finish off Kumaraswamy politically," he added. He said when he refused to go with them, he was first fixed in a criminal case.

“Later, they fixed me in a sexual harassment case. When this ploy also failed, they lodged a rape case against me. I was interrogated for four days, but they couldn't get anything.

BJP and scandal

“I have the audio recordings of Shivakumar's conversations. I will release them and the Congress government will collapse once I am out of prison," he said.

BJP sources admit that the party’s performance in the Lok Sabha elections in Karnataka will be severely dented because of the mass revulsion over the sex scandal as the BJP and JD(S) are allies.