New Delhi: After the Congress party on Friday sought an investigation by the Lokpal into a media report that alleged bribes of Rs 1800 crore were paid by B S Yeddyurappa to the BJP's top brass, the former Karnataka chief minister hit back at Congress saying it was ‘absolute nonsense’. Yeddyurappa took on Twitter and said “absolute nonsense, disgusting & desperate efforts by Congress to release such fake diary, prove it at the earliest or face defamation case.”


BJP’s Ravi Shankar Prasad on Friday also conducted a press conference and said “Congress claims of bribes taken by BJP leaders from BS Yeddyurappa are absolutely false and not genuine”

“Congress is scared of losing the Lok Sabha polls and hence is making such bizarre allegations of bribery on BJP leaders” he said.

Ravi Shankar further attacked Surjewala and said “Calling a press conference only to peddle news without facts shows his desperation & disturbed mindset”


Earlier, Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala, addressing a press conference, said Prime Minister Narendra Modi should come forward and clarify whether bribes to the tune of Rs 1,800 crore were taken by the BJP leaders or not.

On the allegation, the BJP party hit at Surjewala saying, “After humiliating loss in Jind elections Surjewala seems to have lost his common sense in the process of proving his existence within Congress Calling a press conference only to peddle news without facts shows his desperation & disturbed mindset”

Surjewala had said the report by Caravan magazine cited a diary containing details of the alleged pay-offs to senior BJP leaders and it was seized by the Income Tax Department during raids.

"Prima facie, this is a case of investigating all BJP leaders, right from the PM and downwards. It is a fit case to be investigated by the newly appointed Lokpal," he said.

The Congress spokesperson also read out a purported conversation between Yeddyurappa and a BJP leader alluding to the bribery.

"The diary with B S Yeddyurappa's signature on it was with the Income Tax Department since 2017. If that is the case why did Modi and the BJP not get it investigated," Surjewala asked.

"Has the Modi government refused permission to order a probe into the pay-offs? Is the diary not proof of corruption by the BJP leadership," he asked.