Bengaluru, 22 March

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Friday alleged that the BJP is offering Rs 50 crore each to ruling Congress MLAs to resign, and also promising them funds in subsequent byelections after they quit, as part of "Operation Kamala".

"Operation Kamala" (Operation Lotus), coined by Opposition parties, refers to alleged attempts of the BJP to engineer defection of opposition legislators to install its own government and ensure its stability.

"The Income Tax department conducts raids; are rich people who have amassed wealth through illegal means, only in opposition parties? Is there no one in the BJP? They (BJP) are the 'Pitamaha' of corruption," Siddaramaiah said.

He alleged that the BJP had earlier also indulged in "Operation Kamala" in Karnataka. "They (BJP) ensured resignations (of opponent party legislators), spent crores of rupees money in their elections (by-elections), giving crores of rupees of money to those who resigned. Even today they are attempting it (Operation Kamala) in Karnataka, there are several examples, I don't want to speak about it now. Rs 50 crore was offered to our MLAs, asking them to resign," the Chief Minister claimed.

Alleging that BJP was even promising to help them in (by)elections (after they quit), the Chief Minister said: "they are saying, take Rs 50 crore and resign, and we will also give money for your election expenses." "What money are they promising? Isn't it the black money? Isn't it corruption money?" Siddaramaiah asked, as he accused the BJP of destroying the principles of democracy and the parliamentary system.