Karnataka BJP seeks Priyank Kharge’s resignation over bribery claims in contractor’s suicide note

Referring to the death note, Ashoka said that Raju Kapanur, Kharge’s aide, had extorted over Rs 15 lakh from Panchal and was demanding an additional Rs 1 crore, which he alleged contributed to the contractor’s suicide. “Since the minister has such aides, he should also be held responsible,” the BJP leader added.

Forest and Ecology Minister Eshwar Khandre visited Panchal’s home and said he would request the chief minister to transfer the investigation of the suicide to the CID. For Panchal’s family, he promised Rs 10 lakh in compensation, to be sourced from government and private contributions.

For his part, Kharge questioned the evidence linking him to the contractor’s suicide. “It is Sachin’s alleged death note. It is not yet proved that he wrote it. Even if he did, he named eight people. Is Priyank Kharge’s name in the list?” he said at a news conference. He requested the home minister to constitute an independent authority to investigate the suicide.

Panchal took his life on Thursday, and a suicide note was shared on social media. The police are investigating the authenticity of the note, which also accused Congress leaders of conspiring to murder BJP MLA Basavaraj Mattimadu, along with BJP leaders Manikant Rathod and Chandu Patil and right-wing activist Andolana Swami.

On the basis of a complaint from Patil, an FIR was registered in Kalaburagi on Saturday against Kapanur and five other Congress leaders. The complaint referred to the suicide note and sought action over the alleged conspiracy against the BJP leaders.

In November, the BJP demanded the resignation of Women and Child Development Minister Laxmi Hebbalkar after her personal assistant was named in the suicide note of Rudranna Yadavannavar, a second-division assistant at the Belagavi tahsildhar’s office.