AICC general secretary in charge of Karnataka Digvijaya Singh, on Sunday, challenged the Narendra Modi government to initiate legal action against Congress leaders if the alleged revelations in the diary of K. Govindaraj, Congress MLC, were found to be genuine.
Mr. Singh, who chaired a KPCC coordination committee meeting, said investigations into the diary, which purportedly mentioned payments to the party high command, had been closed about 11 months ago. But “investigation has commenced again owing to pressure from the Prime Minister’s office,” he said.
“The entire diary is fake. It is a plan by income tax authorities,” Mr. Singh told presspersons after the three-hour meeting with coordination panel members, including Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Leader of the Congress in the Lok Sabha M. Mallikarjun Kharge.
Investigating agencies such as the Income Tax Department and Enforcement Directorate have been functioning under the directions of the Centre.
“Let the Centre investigate and take action against Congress leaders if contents in the diary are true and genuine,” he said, while asking the Centre to send the diary for forensic test to establish genuineness.
‘BJP’s conspiracy’
The BJP MPs and Ministers were conspiring against the government and tarnishing the image of the Congress by raising the fake diary issue after the closure of investigation, he alleged.
“What’s about BJP MLC Lahar Singh’s diary? Was it investigated? What about Sahara-Birla diaries that have sufficient material to prove that Mr. Modi had accepted kickbacks from corporate houses when he was the Chief Minister of Gujarat? Mr. Singh asked.
Meanwhile, Mr. Siddaramaiah said there was no proposal to drop senior Ministers from the Cabinet and draft them in to party work.
Lokayukta probing issue: Shobha
Giving a new dimension to the diary issue, BJP State general secretary Shobha Karandlaje said the Lokayukta was already probing the matter based on a private complaint filed on December 20, 2016.
Speaking at a party programme on Sunday, Ms. Karandlaje said the Lokayukta Registrar had written to the income tax authorities to provide details of the diary.
Lahar Singh files plaint
Meanwhile, Lahar Singh Siroya, BJP MLC, has filed a complaint with the Bengaluru city Police Commissioner seeking an appropriate enquiry into Congress leaders releasing pages said to be from his diary which allegedly shows payoffs to BJP central leaders. Reiterating that the diary was fake, he told reporters later that he was ready for any probe.
