Karnataka minister threatens Rs 50 cr defamation case against contractors’ Assn.

Bengaluru: Calling D Kempanna-led contractors association as Congress party’s puppet, Karnataka Horticulture Minister N Munirathna on Thursday threatened to file Rs 50 crore dual defamation case against all the office-bearers of Karnataka State Contractors Association if they failed to apologize for their baseless graft allegations against him.
The minister has given them a seven-day deadline.
Munirathna, in a press conference, asked the association to release the documents pertaining to him accepting bribes to either the media or Lokayukta in the next seven days.
“If they fail to do this, they must tender an apology in the media. If they don’t, I will file a   Rs. 50 crore civil and criminal defamation case against them. I am taking this step to stop the wrong message from reaching the people,” he said.
The minister said the association does not have any concrete proof or documents to prove his guilt of graft. Their allegations are baseless, he said.
Munirathna was once a member of the same association.
There is only one-point agenda of the association, and that is to defame the BJP government ahead of 2023 state assembly elections, Munirathna alleged.
Earlier in the day, the minister called Kempanna’s association as Congress party’s puppet. “Till yesterday, the association members were hurling charges on Siddaramaiah’s direction. But, the next course of action will be decided by the law,” he stated.
The Congress leaders however retaliated by questioning Bommai’s meeting with the association members if they were agents of their party. “These statements are being adapted by the BJP to meet their political requirements,” Karnataka Congress President DK Shivakumar said.
(UNI)