Following the filing of an FIR against the relatives of Union Minister Pralhad Joshi, Congress activists protested outside Gandhi Bhavan in Bengaluru on Friday. They are demanding Joshi’s resignation from the Union Cabinet and the arrest of his family members, who are implicated in the case.
During the demonstration, Congress protesters emphasized that Pralhad Joshi should step down, highlighting an FIR that alleges his family members solicited ₹2 crores in exchange for a political ticket. They criticized the BJP for its previous accusations against Congress leaders like Siddaramaiah, questioning why similar scrutiny is not being directed at their own members, specifically mentioning the names of Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the FIR.
Karnataka Home Minister G Parmeshwara addressed the situation, confirming that several accused individuals have been arrested, but mentioned that Gopal Joshi is currently evading capture. He stated that more information will emerge once the investigation concludes.
Gopal Joshi, Pralhad Joshi’s brother, along with his sister Vijaya Lakshmi Joshi and nephew Ajay Joshi, are facing allegations of promising a BJP ticket to Devananda Pul Singh Chouhan, the husband of complainant Sunita Chauhan, leveraging Pralhad Joshi’s influence. Sunita Chauhan lodged her complaint against them at the Basaveshwar Nagar police station, leading to the FIR filed on Thursday evening.