Karnataka Excise Minister KM Shivalinge Gowda has landed in a controversy over remarks that critics interpreted as endorsing the practice of offering money to government officials.
Ashok added: “Minister Shivalinge Gowda declared, ‘It is your duty to give it respectfully to officials,’ thereby stating that taking bribes is the duty of the @INCKarnataka government. BJP MLA Bharat Shetty also attacked the minister.
“Minister is telling people how bribe has to be given in a respectful way,” he said. Under fire, Minister Shivalinge Gowda clarified that his remarks are being misconstrued and that he never asked people to respectfully give a bribe, but only said that officials doing their work must be given respect. “What I said was ‘give respect to the officers who get the work done’. In the viral video, I had clearly said not to give bribes to officers for any reason,” the minister clarified.
The government of Chief Minister @DKShivakumar, which launched the Public Services Department to listen to people’s grievances, is now shamelessly urging people directly to ‘give bribes’,” he alleged. He then remarked, “Whatever you want to offer, you can do so respectfully. It is your dharma, but nobody should take money forcibly. Leader of Opposition R Ashok slammed the Congress government, saying it is asking people to bribe officials. “‘Public Service Fee’ – Honourable Bribe! He also slammed the BJP for circulating an edited clip. Posting maliciously edited videos and trying to damage reputation is the mean trick of the BJP.”
Responding to a query from a member of the public, Gowda, who is also Hassan district in-charge minister, said officials would do their duty. “It is saddening that the opposition is trying to defame our government by taking a small clip of what I said.
