Congress has lost its balance, spinning web of lies: BJP

Dismissing the corruption allegations levelled by Congress against the party, BJP accused it of spreading falsehood and a web of lies.

Citing a news magazine report, the Congress earlier alleged that some top leaders of the BJP, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, had received Rs 1,800 crore from former Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yeddyurappa.

Addressing a presser here, Congress spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala alleged that there was a diary which had mentioned about payments allegedly made to the BJP's Central Committee which includes Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, Home Minister Rajnath Singh and Shipping Minister Nitin Gadkari, besides the Prime Minister.

Dismissing the allegations, Prasad fired back at the Congress, saying, "The Congress party wherein many top leaders are out on bail and suffering many court proceedings has now resorted to spreading a web of lies and falsehood. The Congress party is desperate... It has lost its balance."

Raking up the issue of raids by Income Tax officials on senior Congress leader DK Shivakumar's properties in August last year, Prasad said: "On August 2, 2017, raids were conducted on Shivakumar. He handed over a loose sheet to the IT officials, saying it was a loose paper of a diary. D Shivakumar has been involved in such allegations in the past. When he was asked to prove the authenticity, he could not do so and that same loose paper was used in today's Congress press conference. Will Congress do politics on falsehood and misrepresentations?"

"This is a Congress pattern. Remember the Judge Loya case? An article is carried, a petition filed, the judiciary involved. Then the SC dismisses it. This episode is similar. Congress is afraid of its imminent defeat in the 2019 elections," he added.

The diary also purportedly contains Yeddyurappa's handwriting and signatures, Surjewala alleged in the presser earlier today.

Surjewala, basing his allegations and contentions on the media report, claimed that the diary is reportedly with the Income Tax department since August 2017 but no probe had been conducted so far.

"The diary is with the Income Tax department since August 2017. The officials of the department have even approached the Finance Minister Arun Jaitley with it, seeking an inquiry by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and for the forensic examination but nothing happened," said Surjewala.

"If it is true, then why Prime Minister Modi and all top leaders of BJP have not ordered an inquiry and get it investigated," he said.

He added that since the Lokpal was now in place, it can be the first test case of the anti-corruption ombudsman.

Soon after, Yeddyurappa came down heavily on the party terming the accusations as "atrocious" and "malicious" and threatened to file a defamation case.

"The Congress party and its leaders are bankrupt of issues and ideas. They do not have any development issues to discuss in public. They are frustrated with the growing popularity of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP," Yeddyurappa told reporters in Bengaluru.

Yeddyurappa said that an inquiry had found the documents, as cited by Surjewala, "fake".

"I.T. (Income Tax) department officials have already probed the issue and found that the documents and signature and handwritten notes are forged," the former Karnataka Chief Minister said.

Echoing similar sentiments, BJP president Amit Shah tweeted, "After all the fake issues have collapsed, the desperate are now relying on forgery. The Congress campaign is in shambles. Now even forgery can't save them. Few loose sheets given by a Congress minister is only as credible and reliable as Rahul Gandhi's leadership skills.