Kalaburagi (Karnataka) [India], June 23 : Amid the ongoing chaos over the bribery allegations against the Karnataka Housing Board, Congress MLA BR Patil on Monday said that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah invited him for a meeting. He would meet him on June 25, possibly to discuss the allegations levelled by the former.
Patil acknowledged that it was his voice in the audio clip that went viral on social media, where a phone conversation purportedly between Patil and Sarfaraz Khan, the personal assistant (PA) to Karnataka Housing and Minority Welfare Minister BZ Zameer Ahmed Khan, has brought the Congress government under fire due to allegations of irregularities in the housing allotment.
"Yesterday, the CM called me for a meeting. I will meet him on the evening of June 25. He asked me where I was and whether I was coming to Raichur. He asked me to meet him. He did not ask me anything about the audio. I have owned that it was my voice," Patil told reporters here.
When asked about Karnataka Housing Minister Khan denying the allegations, he reiterated, "It is my voice (in the viral audio clip). I was the one who was talking. What else do you want?... He also has the right to deny it (allegations)."
Patil earlier levelled serious allegations against the Housing Board, stating that houses under the Rajiv Gandhi housing scheme are allotted only when bribes are paid.
Earlier, in a blistering attack on the Congress-led Karnataka government, Leader of the Opposition (LoP) R Ashoka on Sunday accused the state-run Housing Board of turning into a hub of corruption, claiming that the government was prioritising profit over public service instead of addressing the basic needs of the people.
Speaking to reporters in Mandya, the Karnataka LoP said, "This Congress government, when asked to provide food for the poor, has dug holes into their homes. In this government, the Housing Board has become a Collection Board. They've coined a new slogan: 'Pay money, get a house.' Blood-sucking leeches have infiltrated the Housing Department. Instead of providing homes to the poor, they are selling them," he alleged.
Following the Excise and Valmiki Corporation scams, Ashok claimed that corruption in the Housing Department has now come to light. He pointed to the recent controversy surrounding Congress MLA BR Patil, who admitted that the viral audio clip discussing graft was indeed his voice and has demanded an investigation.
Ashok also slammed the Karnataka government over the "If I open my mouth, this government won't last three days" remarks by BR Patil earlier, calling it the biggest insult to the government. "If the Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister have the courage, they should take action against Patil, who has made serious allegations against the government, or they should resign," he said.