Congress on bail, Bharat Jodo Yatra is sinister campaign: Bommai

Bengaluru: Amid the row over Congress' 'PayCM' campaign against the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in Karnataka, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai said Congress is a party on bail and called its Bharat Jodo Yatra a "sinister campaign".
Speaking to reporters, Bommai said, "On Gandhi Jayanti day, I need not talk about the fake Gandhis. The whole party is on bail. Rahul Gandhi, his mother and Congress president Sonia Gandhi and KPCC President all are on bail. It is a party on bail and all the cases are pertaining to corruption. Bharat Jodo Yatra is a sinister campaign." Bommai's remarks came in the backdrop of Rahul Gandhi's statement terming the incumbent BJP government in Karnataka a "corrupt one".

The Karnataka Chief Minister further said, "The KPCC president is struggling hard in padayatra as the cases have been going on for the last 2-3 years. Hitherto, Karnataka was their ATM but not now, and for this reason, they may be unhappy. Everybody knows that there is no 40 per cent (commission) here. I will order an inquiry if they give me documents where such things have happened."
This came amid the row over the "PayCM" t-shirt.
Karnataka Congress chief DK Shivakumar dared the state government to act against him and former CM Siddaramaiah for wearing the "PayCM" t-shirt, alleging that several party workers were booked for wearing the same t-shirt during the 'Bharat Jodo Yatra'.
"The Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Assembly Siddaramaiah and I and other leaders will participate in Bharat Jodo Yatra by wearing 'PayCM' t-shirts. Let us see what the BJP will do," Shivakumar told reports in Nanjangud.

He said cases had been filed against some Congress workers for wearing t-shirts with "Pay-CM" written on them during the march in Gundlupet.
"We are not afraid of this (cases)," he said.
On Saturday, a Congress worker was made to take off his t-shirt that featured the "PayCM" poster during the Bharat Jodo Yatra and an FIR has also been registered against him at the Chamarajanagar police station.
"PayCM" is an aggressive campaign launched by Congress against the Basavaraj Bommai government, accusing it of massive corruption. The PayCM campaign appears to have started on September 21, when posters featuring Bommai surfaced in Bengaluru. These posters had a QR code with the message "40 per cent accepted here".
Once scanned, the QR code would take people to a parody "40 per cent Commission Government" website launched recently by Congress. If any, people would then be asked to file their complaints against the Chief Minister.
Meanwhile, The State government has dismissed the Congress charges as politically motivated.
"The government is sunk in 40 per cent commission. All sections including farmers are suffering. On the one hand, there is corruption and unrest, on the other hand, there is the problem of farmers and unemployment. An atmosphere of fear has been created among the people," Shivakumar alleged.
The Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee chief accused the BJP of slander and baseless criticism because "our development is unbearable" to it. "BJP is doing petty politics to divert people's attention. They are criticizing us even though it has dead rats on its plate". (ANI)