‘Might award him Padma Bhushan’: Kejriwal's swipe at BJP amid bribery row

Alleging that there is a 40% commission government running in Karnataka, AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday said the BJP has not yet arrested the MLA who's son was caught taking ₹40 lakh bribe.

Published on: Mar 4, 2023, 17:28:25 IST

By Yamini C S

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Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convener Arvind Kejriwal hit out at the ruling BJP in poll-bound Karnataka on Saturday, alleging that there is a 40 per cent commission government running in the state. The Delhi chief minister referred to the recent Lokayukta raid which uncovered lakhs of rupees were being accepted as bribe by a sitting MLA's son.

This is Arvind Kejriwal's his maiden election public meeting in Karnataka. (@AAPBangalore/Twitter)

Kejriwal set foot in the southern state to address a public gathering in Davanagere in the hope to take the party’s preparations for the upcoming crucial assembly elections to the next level. The Delhi CM along with his Punjab counterpart Bhagwant Mann are also set to administer an oath to the office bearers of the party’s state unit and block and circle committee members from all 224 constituencies.

As he detailed the party's promises ahead of the polls, Kejriwal appealed to the people of Karnataka to give his party a chance to run a corruption-free government.

READ | Karnataka: Lokayukta catches BJP MLA's son with ₹40 lakh bribe money

“Minister's son was found with ₹8 crore but Manish Sisodia was arrested and he wasn't. They say Manish Sisodia is corrupted but in raids, he was found in possession of only ₹10,000. They couldn't find anything even in Sisodia's bank locker,” Kejriwal said.

“One of their (BJP) minister's son was found in possession of ₹8 crore but he isn't arrested yet. They might award him, Padma Bhushan, next year,” he added.

These statements come days after Ex-IPS officer Bhaskar Rao, who was the chairman of AAP's manifesto committee, quit the party and joined the BJP instead, citing a “lack of transparency” as the reason for his exit. He also said the party collects “donations in the name of fighting corruption”.

Rao, who was Bengaluru's former police commissioner, had joined the party in April last year.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Yamini C S
Yamini CS is a Senior Content Producer at Hindustan Times with nearly six years of experience in digital journalism. She is part of the India News desk, where she works on a wide range of stories cutting across civic issues, city-based developments, politics, governance, public policy, breaking news, trending topics, and international affairs that have an impact on India. Her role involves tracking fast-moving developments, verifying information from official and on-ground sources, and presenting news in a clear, accessible format for a digital-first audience. A significant part of her work includes handling live blogs during major news events, such as elections, court verdicts, political developments, civic disruptions, protests, weather-related alerts, and unfolding national or international incidents. Through live coverage, she focuses on timely updates to help readers follow complex stories as they evolve. Before moving to the broader India News desk, Yamini was associated with the Bengaluru desk at Hindustan Times, where she extensively covered urban governance, infrastructure, traffic and transport issues, weather events, public grievances, and civic administration in the city. This experience strengthened her grounding in city reporting and sharpened her focus on citizen-centric journalism. She began her career as a correspondent with Reuters after completing a postgraduate diploma in journalism from the Indian Institute of Journalism and New Media. Her early training instilled a strong emphasis on accuracy, sourcing, and news ethics, which continue to shape her reporting style. Outside of work, Yamini enjoys reading across genres, listening to music, and spending time with her family, which help her maintain balance in a fast-paced newsroom environment.Read More

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