Bengaluru, DHNS: BJP leader Jagadish Shettar on Tuesday demanded a narcoanalysis test on Congress leaders whose names figure in a diary reportedly maintained by party MLC K Govindaraj, to ascertain the facts.

People were curious to know why Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Bengaluru Development Minister K J George took special interest to implement the controversial steel flyover project despite stiff resistance. The diary has now revealed that Rs 65-crore kickback was taken for clearing the project, he told reporters.

Bengaluru Development Authority (BDA) executive engineer Raghu had travelled abroad extensively and was in touch with hawala operators in Qatar and other places, Shettar charged, quoting a recent complaint filed with the CBI, Bengaluru, seeking a probe into the diary issue, including the official’s foreign travels.

‘Disqualify Govindaraj’

The BJP leader also demanded that Govindaraj should be disqualified as MLC for holding an office of profit. “According to the complaint before the CBI, Govindaraj was appointed as the government of India nominee of the Institute of Cost Accountants of India, Kolkata (sic),” he added.

Shettar charged Siddaramaiah with yielding to pressure from the Baldota group on the Kappatagudda issue. Though the State Wildlife Board had authorised the chief minister to restore the conservation reserve status, he has not done it so far. He has delayed restoration of the status in order to enable the company to obtain a court stay, he charged.

He also charged that Madhusudan Naik was the legal adviser for Baldota group before he was appointed Advocate General of Karnataka. “One can easily see why the government has not bothered to get the stay vacated so far. It is a travesty,” he said.