Congress dares government to order Lokpal investigation into 'Yeddyurappa Diaries'

Congress spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala addressing the media at the party headquarters in New Delhi on Friday. 

A media report alleged that Yeddyurappa paid ₹1,800 crore to some top BJP leaders.

The Congress has challenged the Central government to order an investigation by the newly-appointed Lokpal into the 'Yeddyurappa Diaries' published by a news magazine.

The Caravan on Friday published a report alleging that former Karnataka Chief Minister B.S Yeddyurappa paid as much as ₹1,800 crore to top BJP leaders, including L.K. Advani, Rajnath Singh and Nitin Gadkari. It also published handwritten notes purportedly written by Mr. Yeddyurappa.

At a media conference in New Delhi, Congress spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala sought a response from the government on The Caravan report.“The Prime Minister must come out whether he is ready to get this investigated,” he said.

“Prima facie, this is a case of investigating all BJP leaders, right from the PM and downwards. It is a fit case to be investigated by the newly appointed Lokpal,” he said.

Mr. Surjewala claimed that the I-T department approached Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley to find out whether there should be an inquiry but nothing happened. ''We are not here to do mudslinging like the BJP. We are here to tell people,'' he said.

Reading out a purported conversation between Mr. Yeddyurappa and a BJP leader alluding to the bribery, Mr. Surjewala said: “The diary with B S Yeddyurappa’s signature on it was with the Income Tax Department since 2017. If that is the case why did Modi and the BJP not get it investigated?”