‘Women have to sleep with someone to get govt job in BJP-ruled Karnataka': Congress leader

Congress MLA Priyank Kharge attacked the BJP-led government for scams in government job recruitment and stated that men bribe, while women sleep with officials to get a government job.

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Kalaburagi: Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee spokesperson and MLA Priyank Kharge on Friday made serious allegations against the BJP-led state government that "men have to bribe while young women have to sleep with someone to get a government job in the State." Kharge demanded judicial investigation or probe by a special investigation team (SIT) into recruitment scams and sought that the government set up a fast-track court. 

Highlighting BJP’s indulgence in large-scale corruption in recruitment in various posts, Kharge said, "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 Karnataka Power Transmission Corporation Ltd. (KPTCL) has conducted recruitment for a total of 1,492 posts including Assistant Engineer, Junior Engineer, and Civil Engineer. "A candidate who was writing the exam using Bluetooth was arrested in Gokak. According to the information I have, it is possible that the deal has been done for a total of 600 posts. It is suspected that they have received Rs 50 lakh for the post of Assistant Engineer and Rs 30 lakh for the post of Junior Engineer. There is a possibility that Rs 300 crores of embezzlement have taken place in this alone," he said in a press conference.

"Where should the poor and talented students go if there are irregularities in every recruitment examination? The perpetrators and the middlemen know that nothing would happen to them even if any scam comes to light. The government is playing with the future of about 3 lakh students who have applied for the posts of KPTCL," said Congress MLA. He said that the candidates are very upset about those who have made a business out of the methodology for the sake of a 40 percent commission.

Targeting the government’s ‘Har Ghar Tiranga’ campaign, Kharge said that BJP is using patriotism for business. "BJP is also using patriotism for business. The Flag Code has been amended to allow the use of polyester flags to attract attention. Its biggest beneficiary is the Reliance Company, whose officers have been made flag salesmen. Flags are being compulsorily issued to railway staff by deducting their wages from their salaries," he said. 

He questioned whether the state government, which has given tax exemption to the film Kashmir Files, has no merit in giving the flag for free. "Officials also called me and asked me to buy 20,000 flags. I disagree. Instead of polyester flags, we are distributing 10,000 khadi flags free of charge from the district congress," he added.