Bengaluru: Congress MLA Priyank Kharge has stirred a controversy with his alleged remark that women in Karnataka get jobs by providing sexual favours to the “corrupt BJP government”.
“In this government, you won’t get jobs without giving money. Earlier two Ministers had resigned. To get a job in the BJP-led Karnataka government, young women have to get on the couch and youth have to pay bribes. It has become a bribe-couch government,” he reportedly told reporters on Friday.
The Congress MLA’s remarks were made during a press conference on the PSI recruitment scam.
Demanding a judicial investigation by a special investigation team, Kharge sought establishment of a fast-track court to bring the culprits to book.
“The government has decided to sell posts. If young women want a government job, they should sleep with someone. Men have to give bribes for government jobs. A Minister had asked the young woman to sleep with him for a job. He resigned after the scandal came to light and this is proof of my words,” he said.
Kharge also levelled fresh allegations of corruption in Karnataka Power Transmission Corp where he said “Rs 30 lakh are paid as bribe for getting the post of Junior Engineer and Rs 50 lakh for Assistant Engineer”.
“A deal has been struck for a total of 600 posts and there is a possibility that Rs 300 crores of embezzlement have taken place in this alone,” he said.
Kharge also alleged that many candidates used Bluetooth and microphones in CET exams held in September 2021 to fill 1,323 posts of Second Division Assistants in different departments.
The Congress is planning to file a PIL in the Karnataka High Court against the government’s alleged corruption, dealings in transfers and recruitment scams, he said.
The BJP hit back saying that such things had happened at both the state and Central level during Congress rule.
Union Minister Pralhad Joshi demanded an apology from Priyank Kharge for his “outrageous remarks”.
“Whatever he said was happening during Congress rule – at the Centre and in State. What he said about the women of India is an insult to them who are performing in all fields today,” he said.
Reminiscing Jayamala bribery and Abhishek CD cases, Karnataka BJP said in a Twitter thread, “Ex minister Priyank Kharge cannot see the tiles of his own house before making statements like these. It was during the Congress government that the Jayamala bribery scandal was exposed and we all know who was involved in it.”
“Priyank Kharge, wasn’t it during your time when sexually assaulted women were asking for help and remained helpless? The CD issue of Abhishek in Digvijaya channel was during your UPA government and many influential people were involved in it.
The verbal duel ensued days after a candidate was caught allegedly using a smartwatch for cheating during the KPTCL recruitment examination in Gokak.
The accused was arrested on Wednesday.