BJP is the greater evil: Prashant Bhushan tells voters in poll-bound Karnataka

Bengaluru, Mar 26: Human rights activist and Supreme Court advocate Prashant Bhushan has warned the people of Karnataka that the “greater evil” for them is the Bharatiya Janata Party.

“Though the choice before voters in Karnataka is between the devil and the deep sea, the BJP is a far greater evil,” he told presspersons here on Sunday after addressing a gathering on political corruption and dangers to democracy.

“The [Assembly] elections are approaching and money power is going to play a major role. There will be a politicians-bureaucracy-contractors nexus that will bring in the money,” he said.

“D.K. Shivakumar is there, and the likes of (Ashok) Kheny have joined the Congress, which has ignored the corruption cases against them. The BJP has B.S. Yeddyurappa as its chief ministerial candidate and leader of the poll campaign, despite the cases in the Lokayukta and the Central Bureau of Investigation. The Reddy brothers are behind the BJP. The parties have all been partners in crime, but the people are stuck,” he said.

Opining that more transparency was required in funding of parties and candidates, he said that unless there is transparency, electoral reforms were not possible.

“When we speak of transparency in funding political parties, electoral bonds have become instruments of changing black money to white. They are bearer bonds with no name or serial number. Bonds are given to a party and they cash it in. No one knows where the money came from or even if it is a clear kickback on a deal,” he said.

Mr. Bhushan urged all democratic forces to join in advocating for transparent, corruption-free governance ahead of the elections.