Bengaluru, Nov 14 (IANS): Karnataka BJP has asked the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to take suo motu cognizance of the charges of Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s claim of the BJP trying to buy the ruling Congress MLAs by offering Rs 50 crore each.

State BJP President B.Y. Vijayendra said that given the Chief Minister’s serious claim about a Rs 50 crore bribe, there is a need to disclose who is allegedly ready to invest crores to bring down the Congress government.

“It seems Siddaramaiah has lost trust in his legislators, which is why he is making baseless accusations of offering Rs 50 crore to Congress MLA,” he said.

He added that Siddaramaiah’s claim demeans the democratic system and disrespects the legislators by treating them as items for sale.

Vijayendra further said that his statement is a desperate attempt by the state Congress unit to maintain control of its legislators and cover up corruption scandals surrounding the government.

“Spreading false, nonsensical, and imaginary stories has become a daily mantra for you (Siddaramaiah) and your party. The more your chain of scams comes to light, the more restless you appear. It’s your moral duty to reveal the source of this alleged offer of Rs 50 crore bribe to Congress MLAs to the public,” he said.

He claimed that Siddaramaiah appears to be acting out of desperation at the prospect of losing power. "You keep warning that people won’t let you go quietly if you are removed from office; but in reality, the people of Karnataka are already voicing concerns about a corrupt Chief Minister like you holding onto power," he pointed out.

In response to Vijayendra’s statement urging an investigation if there are any records of “Operation Kamala,” the Chief Minister said Vijayendra is a newcomer. “I will not respond to him,” the Chief Minister added.

Earlier, Siddaramaiah alleged that the BJP is involved in a bribery operation known as 'Operation Kamala'. He claimed that the BJP is planning to bribe 50 MLAs with Rs 50 crore each.