The ruling Congress and the BJP were once again locked in a blame game over the Anwar Manippady report on Waqf lands encroachment and misuse by politicians, in the ongoing Assembly session in Belagavi on Monday.
RDPR minister Priyank Kharge had set off a political storm last week by alleging that the state BJP president and Shikaripura MLA B.Y. Vijayendra, had made an offer of Rs 150 crore to the then Karnataka State Minorities Commission chairman Manippady to "bury" the report that indicted several Congress leaders.
Vijayendra, while defending himself dared the Congress government to refer not just the alleged bribe offer case to the CBI, but also the Manippady report, the Upa Lokayukta report and the MUDA scam involving the chief minister.
"This is a case of hit and run by the Congress leaders. Why would I try to bribe Manippady to buy his silence when the Yediyurappa government had constituted the Manippady committee to survey the Waqf properties,” said Vijayendra.
Also, why would I try to save the Congress leaders as the report had stated that 27,000 acres had been misused and the scam involving Congress leaders ran into crores of money, he added.
“Again, the Upa Lokayukta had also submitted a report on misuse of Waqf lands in March 2016, when the Congress government led by Siddaramaiah was in power. But the Siddaramaiah's cabinet had rejected the report," said Vijayendra who dared the CM to refer all the Waqf issues.
"I am happy to see Siddaramaiah who was apprehensive over the CBI, is today talking of ordering a CBI inquiry into allegations against me," mocked Vijayendra.
Soon after Vijayendra's statement in the House, Kharge held a press meet and released a few old video clippings of Manippady's interviews given to a few TV channels where he is heard saying Vijayendra had come to his office and told him that he had done excellent work (report) but he had to remain mum as he was not even able to meet his expenses (treatment cost). Manippady had claimed that Vijayendra had asked him to quote any amount (as bribe) to stop pursuing the case.
Interestingly, Manippady has refuted Kharge's claim and said, it was not Vijayendra who had made an offer but some Congress leaders who had tried to bribe him big money.
"I was angry that the BJP government had not acted on my report. Out of anger, I might have spoken against my party leaders. But I don't remember Vijayendra making any offers to me. In fact, some Congress leaders had made an offer. But I went ahead and the case is before the High Court now as a lot of Waqf land has been misused by Congress party leaders," Manippady had clarified after Kharge's remarks in the House.
Kharge has released videos where Manippady has clearly mentioned Vijayendra's name and also narrated how Vijayendra had fled from his office after Manippady had lost his cool on hearing Vijayendra's alleged offer.
Kharge, who demanded to know how much money Manippady had been offered to backtrack on his previous statements to the media.
The BJP has accused the ruling Congress of "minority appeasement" after the Waqf Board started issuing notices to farmers, schools, government properties and temple management at the behest of Waqf minister Zameer Ahmed Khan.
In turn, the Congress accused the BJP of "double standards" stating Waqf notices were issued even by the previous BJP government, which had promised to reclaim encroached Waqf properties in its poll manifesto.
Amid the political slugfest, the Manippady report(2012) that estimated misappropriation (and illegal allocation) of more than 27,000 acres of Waqf land in Karnataka, mostly by veteran Congress leaders, has been given a quiet burial.
