Bengaluru: Bommanahalli BJP MLA Satish Reddy on Tuesday swore at Mahatma Gandhi in the Assembly for saying that a bribe of Rs 100 per sq ft was being charged to approve the construction of large apartments in Bengaluru.
“No one is building and construction workers have been left unemployed,” Reddy said during a debate on Bengaluru’s development.
“There is a bribe of Rs 100 per square meter for building plan approvals for large apartments. The Bangalore Metropolitan Region Development Authority (BMRDA) pays Rs 20 less. Let every member in this House say there is no bribe. Who gets this money? Officials? Government? Anyone else?” Reddy said.
Hoskote Congress MLA Sharath Bachegowda contested Reddy’s claim. “What evidence does he have?”
For this, Satish even offered to resign if he was proven wrong. “I am speaking the truth. I swear by Gandhi. I am not lying,” he said.
Reddy also accused the Congress government of “cheating” Muslims citing the example of ward delimitation in Bengaluru.
“The Muslim areas have been halved and annexed to other localities; 3,000 votes here and another 3,000 votes there. And, they will not take out the Muslims,” Reddy said. “As a BJP MP, I helped a Muslim councilor get elected. We are not anti-Muslim. We only oppose those who are anti-national and pro-Pakistan,” he said.
The Congress, Reddy charged, has turned Muslims into a vote bank. “Congress has taken Muslims for granted and is not doing their job. If there is an alternative party, Muslims will not vote for Congress. Muslims are voting for Congress not out of love for the party,” he said.
