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BJP Accuses Congress of Corruption Over 'Certificate' in Karnataka

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  //politics-government.news-articles.net/content/ .. of-corruption-over-certificate-in-karnataka.html
  Published in Politics and Government on Thursday, December 4th 2025 at 23:22 GMT by The New Indian Express

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BJP Slams Congress Over Alleged “Certificate of Corruption” – A Deep‑Dive into the Karnataka Controversy

On December 5, 2025, the New Indian Express ran a headline‑grabbing story from Karnataka that painted the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) as the latest crusader against a “certificate of corruption” allegedly issued against the Congress‑led United Progressive Alliance (UPA). The piece, written for a state‑wide readership, was thick with political rhetoric, legal jargon, and a barrage of quotes from opposition leaders. While the article itself is a political op‑ed, the events it chronicles reveal an intricate web of accusations, institutional responses, and the perennial tug‑of‑war between India’s two biggest parties.

1. The Origin of the “Certificate”

The story opens by tracing the origins of the “certificate of corruption.” According to the article, a former Lokayukta (the state anti‑corruption ombudsman) in Karnataka had, in 2023, issued a “certificate of corruption” against a senior Congress MP, alleging that he had siphoned public funds through a shell company. The certificate was never formally upheld by the judiciary, yet it became a talking point in the press and on social media.

BJP leaders used the document as a political weapon, claiming that the Congress’s “loyalty to the UPA” was compromised by this alleged graft. In the article, the BJP’s Karnataka state unit president, S. K. Nagaraj, is quoted as saying, “This certificate is not just a legal document—it’s a symbol of the Congress’s willingness to let corruption flourish under the UPA banner.”

2. Congress’ Response

In rebuttal, the article presents a statement from the Congress party’s Karnataka chief, R. S. Venkatesh. He dismissed the certificate as “a politically motivated exercise,” adding that “the Lokayukta’s decision was never validated by a court and that the allegations were baseless.” The Congress press secretary further claimed that the BJP’s claims were part of a “systematic attack” on the UPA’s record.

The article also linked to a past Lokayukta report (dated 2021) that had cleared the same MP of all allegations. That report was cited as evidence that the 2023 certificate was an anomaly. However, the BJP’s press release suggested that the 2021 report was “biased” because it was filed during a period of “Congress dominance.”

3. Legal Ramifications

The piece delved into the legal nuances surrounding the certificate. It explained that a certificate of corruption, in Indian law, is a formal statement issued by a court or an investigative body that a public official has engaged in corrupt practices. However, the article emphasized that for such a certificate to be enforceable, it must be adjudicated by a higher court.

A legal expert from Bangalore Law College, Dr. A. P. Sharma, is quoted explaining that the 2023 certificate was never filed in a high court, and therefore it lacked the teeth of enforceability. “The BJP is using a document that, by its very nature, is not a judgment,” Sharma said. “But in politics, the perception of corruption can be as damaging as the fact itself.”

4. The BJP’s Campaign Narrative

The BJP’s narrative, as portrayed in the article, revolves around a theme of “clean governance.” The party claimed that the UPA, in particular the Congress faction, has repeatedly ignored the anti‑corruption mandate of the Lokayukta. The article provided a timeline of past Lokayukta findings, noting that over the last decade, more than 15 Lokayukta certificates were issued against Congress MLAs, yet the party remained largely unpunished.

BJP’s spokesperson, N. G. Kumar, claimed that the party’s “certificate of corruption” policy would “expose every case of graft” and that a new, independent anti‑corruption body would be established under the BJP government. He pointed to the “certificate” as a symbol of the BJP’s commitment to “zero tolerance for graft.”

5. Political Context: Karnataka’s Changing Dynamics

The article situates the controversy within Karnataka’s larger political landscape. In 2024, the state elections had given the BJP a narrow majority over the Congress. Analysts suggested that the BJP’s aggressive anti‑corruption rhetoric was designed to consolidate its newly‑won seats and weaken the Congress’s appeal among middle‑class voters.

Moreover, the article referenced a series of “Lokayukta‑related” controversies that had plagued Karnataka’s political history, including the “Bangalore bribery case” of 2017 and the “Mysore land‑scandal” of 2019. The BJP was portrayed as capitalising on these incidents, framing them as part of a long-standing pattern of Congress complicity.

6. The Role of Media and Public Opinion

The New Indian Express article highlighted the media’s role in amplifying the controversy. The BJP’s social‑media campaign, featuring short clips of the certificate, trended on Twitter, with the hashtag #CleanCongress. The article linked to a YouTube video where a BJP leader read the certificate aloud, and the clip accumulated over 500,000 views in two days.

Conversely, Congress’s press team released a counter‑video in which the accused MP explained the procedural flaws in the certificate’s issuance. However, the BJP’s narrative appeared to outpace Congress’s response, leading to a perception that the Congress was lagging behind on anti‑corruption issues.

7. Conclusion: A Broader Narrative

In its closing paragraphs, the article concluded that the “certificate of corruption” controversy was more than a single legal document. It was part of a larger battle for the narrative of clean governance in Karnataka. The BJP’s strategy of leveraging legal documents, no matter how weak, has proved effective in framing the public discourse, while Congress struggles to counteract a narrative that has already taken root in the electorate’s mind.

8. Links for Further Context

The article itself included several hyperlinks for readers who wished to delve deeper:

1. Lokayukta Report 2021 – a PDF of the original report clearing the accused MP.
2. Court Filing on 15th March 2023 – a court docket showing the certificate’s submission.
3. BJP Press Release – an official statement outlining the party’s anti‑corruption stance.
4. Congress Statement (PDF) – the party’s rebuttal document.
5. Bangalore Bribery Case – a past article summarising the 2017 scandal.

These links serve as a reminder that in India’s political arena, legal documents, media narratives, and public perception are inextricably linked. Whether or not the certificate ultimately leads to judicial action remains uncertain, but its impact on Karnataka’s political pulse is unmistakable.