Congress Releases 'Bribery' Sting Featuring Reddy Aide, BJP Scoffs; Poll Body Says Don't Air It

Bengaluru: On the last day of campaigning in Karnataka, the Congress created a storm by releasing a video it claims shows BJP leader B Sriramulu trying to bribe the son-in-law of a former Supreme Court judge for a favourable verdict in an illegal mining case involving the Reddy brothers.

The clip was released by Karnataka home minister Ramalinga Reddy at what the Congress described an 'explosive press conference'. The party alleged that just one day before the then SC judge retired, he passed an order in a case related to a mining company of the Reddy brothers.

"Now several videos have been released which show how bribe deals were done," said Karnataka Congress quoting its working President Dinesh Gundu Rao in a tweet.

The BJP was quick to dub the 'sting' operation clip as fake news that showed the desperation of the Congress party.

"Do not believe in such fake stings which make rounds now and then," BJP president Amit Shah said at a press conference, when asked about the "sting videos" circulating on social media.

Sriramulu, a confidant of tainted mining baron and owner of Obulapuram Mining Company (OMC) Janardhana Reddy, is contesting from two constituencies Molakalmuru and Badami in the May 12 assembly polls.

In Badami, he is pitted against Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.

The Congress has been criticising BJP and the Prime Minister for their decision to give tickets to eight persons from the Reddy "camp" including his brothers G Somashekara Reddy and G Karunakara Reddy.

Janardhana Reddy, who was made a minister after the BJP government came to power in Karnataka in 2008, had to quit after a report by the Lokayukta indicted him. He was later arrested by the CBI in 2011.

The Supreme Court had also barred him from entering Bellary, in accordance with his bail conditions in the illegal mining case and he was not allowed to campaign there for his brother.

State electoral authorities, meanwhile, directed TV news channels not to air the "sting" video. An officer in the CEO's officer said a report has been sent to the election commission about the video and directions have been issued to the news channels not to air the video clip.