The much-hyped “truth test” over the charge of monetary inducement to switch parties, traded between former Ministers A.H. Vishwanath and S.R. Mahesh, had an anticlimax on Thursday with the two political adversaries failing to come face to face even as they both reached the Chamundeshwari temple atop Chamundi Hills here.
The two leaders stuck to their respective terms of the “truth test” and left the venue after trading charges against each other.
While Mr. Mahesh had accused Mr. Vishwanath of falling prey to monetary inducements offered by the BJP to switch sides and dared him to take a “truth test” before Goddess Chamundeshwari to deny the charges, Mr. Vishwanath had counter-challenged Mr. Mahesh to bring the “buyer” with him to the temple to prove his allegations.
Heavy security
Amid deployment of heavy police security, Mr. Vishwanath arrived around 9 a.m., offered puja inside the temple and waited near the entrance for Mr. Mahesh.
Mr. Mahesh, who went inside the temple minutes after Mr. Vishwanath’s exit, said he swore before the deity that he had told only the truth during the discussion on trust vote in the Legislative Assembly before the H.D. Kumaraswamy-led coalition government collapsed.
Even as Mr. Vishwanath waited for him outside the temple for almost an hour, Mr. Mahesh dared him to come inside and take the truth test by denying that he was lured by either money or power to switch sides.
Outside, a livid Mr. Vishwanath lashed out at Mr. Mahesh and said he had not come to the temple for any test, but to ask his alleged “buyer” in front of Goddess Chamundeshwari whether he had indeed fallen to inducements. “When the buyer has not come, what should I swear to?” Mr. Vishwanath said.
The drama ended, over an hour after it began, with the two leaders leaving the venue without coming face to face.
