Bengaluru, Mar 04, 2023, IANS

Bengaluru, March 4 (IANS) Congress leaders, including Opposition leader Siddaramaiah, were detained while attempting to lay siege to Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai's residence in Bengaluru on Saturday.

State In-charge Randeep Singh Surjewala and State President D.K. Shivakumar were also among those detained.

The Congress staged a protest demanding resignation of CM Bommai in connection with Lokayukta trap case in which BJP MLA Madal Virupakshappa and his son Prashanth Madal, a top government official, have been named as the prime accused.

Prashanth Madal was caught red-handed by Lokayukta while accepting Rs 40 lakh as bribe. Later, Rs 6 crore was seized by authorities at their residences.

The Karnataka police stopped the Congress leaders soon after they started a protest march from the party headquarters towards the CM's residence.

Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar held suitcases condemning the incident. On being stopped by the police, the Congress leaders sat on the road and raised slogans.

Randeep Singh Surjewala stated the ruling BJP government should be called as corrupt Bommai government. "Wherever CM Bommai visits, he is welcomed with posters branding him as 40 per cent commission CM. The people of the state have a clear understanding of commission allegations. The government is indulged in corruption of such a magnitude with a soap manufacturing unit which sells soaps for Rs 20, what must be the proportion in all other sectors?" Surjewala questioned.

Dubbed BJP "Brasth Janata Party", Opposition leader Siddaramaiah said that no party has indulged in such proportions of corruption. BJP is a factory of lies. PM Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah come up with blatant lies. CM Bommai will overtake them in lies.

"When we alleged corruption, the government asked us to provide evidence. They then defend themselves by pointing fingers at the previous government," Siddaramaiah said.

"In the Police Sub-Inspector recruitment scam, an ADGP ranked officer has gone to jail. If they ask for evidence even after this, it should be considered as a joke. If we voted to power, all tenders allotted in the last six months would be cancelled, he stated.