Congress candidate from Bengaluru North Lok Sabha constituency M.V. Rajeev Gowda, on Saturday, alleged that his rival BJP candidate, Union Minister of State for Agriculture, Farmers’ Welfare and Food Processing Industries Shobha Karandlaje, was involved in a ₹44-crore scam in 2014 and had filed a false affidavit during the 2019 elections when she contested from Udupi-Chikkamagaluru constituency.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who proclaims “Na khaunga, na khane dunga”, inducted Ms. Karandlaje into the Ministry and protected her, he claimed. The Enforcement Directorate filed a case in 2014 under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act in the High Court of Karnataka and she challenged the action of the ED by filing a petition, Mr. Gowda said.
Noting that Ms. Karandlaje was accused number 23 in the case, the Congress leader said the Modi-led government had remained silent on the case. Moreover, in 2019, she filed a false affidavit while submitting her nomination paper as the BJP candidate in the Udupi-Chikkamagalur constituency, Mr. Gowda alleged.
In 2019, during her nomination from the Udupi-Chikkamagaluru, Ms. Karandlaje listed this case in her affidavit, stating “Not applicable (private complaint before magistrate)”, Mr. Gowda said. He accused Mr. Karandlaje of providing “misleading information” and violating election laws.
The Congress candidate alleged that “the ED is acting as a private body of the BJP” and filing cases only against the Opposition leaders. “Is this new tradition under the BJP wherein the leaders accused in the case are allowed to become part of the government?” he asked.
