Karnataka deputy CM throws a challenge

Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar said he would retire from politics if it is proved that he has taken commission (bribe). Hitting out at former chief minister Basavaraj Bommai and former minister R Ashoka for accusing him of collecting commission, he said he sought to know whether the two BJP leaders would resign if their allegations prove false. “I will retire from politics today itself if I have taken commission from anyone. But will Bommai and Ashoka announce their political retirement if their (allegations) prove wrong?” Shivakumar asked. Shivakumar, who holds the Bengaluru development portfolio, said the investigation into the various works taken up by the BBMP will cover all aspects and not just one department. Meanwhile, Bommai said the Congress government is indulging in corruption in the entire state, especially in the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (Metropolitan Bengaluru Municipal Corporation).