The BJP, which sometimes seeks to discredit unpalatable media coverage by branding it “paid promotion”, has found itself being labelled the paymaster as an alleged brazen attempt to bribe journalists has literally spilled out of a Diwali gift hamper.

For the past few days, Karnataka has been agog with reports that the media relations team of chief minister and BJP leader Basavaraj Bommai allegedly slipped in cash handouts — ranging from Rs 1 lakh to Rs 2.5 lakh each — along with Diwali sweets to select journalists.

The issue raises several questions that have a bearing on public life and journalism:

• The inflation-adjusted cash handouts can be described only as bribes to ensure favourable media coverage or avert critical questions.
• The disclosure was made by some journalists themselves, who returned the envelopes with the cash.
• But sources in the media industry say only “a few” have returned the amounts. If true, it would suggest some journalists have opted to keep the amount.
• Even the journalists who have returned the money were not known to have spoken on record till Saturday evening. Fear of retribution — from either government-friendly employers or from the government itself — is said to be one reason for the anonymous statements.
• The bribe was given in cash, which invites the crucial question whether the government itself has a stash of unaccounted-for money. The cash makes a mockery of the corruption-antidote halo built around Digital India. Not to mention how hollow some of the justifications for the demonetisation in 2016 sound now.
• The choice of hard currency, stashed into envelopes in a way reminiscent of movie scenes from the last century, was made in Bangalore — the symbol of Digital India that is celebrated as the domestic Silicon Valley.

The disclosure of the payouts comes amid accusations about a second minister “gifting” journalists whisky, watches and gold coins, and a controversy over a third minister appearing to publicly refer to a bribe paid for a police posting.

Government sources said that chief minister Bommai, already facing allegations that his government demands 40 per cent kickbacks for clearing bills and who is a target of a “PayCM” campaign by the Opposition Congress, might order a probe to try and distance himself from the alleged act by members of his personal staff. An embarrassed BJP has been silent so far.

A member of a senior minister’s personal staff, who declined to be named, told The Telegraph: “I don’t know how many gift hampers (containing cash) were sent out. But I know there are tens of reporters who cover the secretariat beat. I’m told that similar gift hampers were sent to their chief reporters as well.”

The official said a reporter with a Bangalore newspaper had played whistleblower, bringing the matter to the attention of his editor before returning the gift. The official said only “a few” had returned the cash gifts.

The reporter did not respond to calls from this newspaper.

A senior journalist who now runs his own Kannada news portal said a former colleague had confirmed receiving the gift hamper. “I didn’t ask him how much, but he immediately returned the cash to the chief minister’s media team,” the journalist said.

The Janadhikara Sangharsha Parishath, a Bangalore-based anti-corruption NGO, has lodged a complaint with corruption ombudsman Lokayukta, naming Bommai and his media adviser Shankar Pagoji and seeking an investigation under the Prevention of Corruption Act.

Its email to the Lokayukta refers to “payment of bribes to chief reporters of several media houses in disguise of Deepavali gift”.

Congress leader Randeep Surjewala asked whether central government agencies like the Enforcement Directorate — always quick to probe Opposition leaders — had taken note.

“Will Mr. Bommai answer — 1. Isn’t it ‘bribe’ being offered by CM? 2. What is the source of Rs 1,00,000? Has it come from Public Exchequer or from CM himself? 3. Will ED/IT take note?” he tweeted.

The Congress on Saturday alleged that a second minister, whom it did not name, too had sent out expensive gifts to journalists.

“Another minister has also given a bribe in the form of a gift to journalists. If it is money from the CM’s office, it is scotch (whiskey) watch and gold coin (by the minister)!!” the Congress tweeted.

“Were they purchased with loot from the Covid scam @BJP4Karnataka? Is this a bribe to cover up the wrongdoings of #40PercentSarkara?”

A media coordinator with a senior minister told this newspaper that previous Congress and Janata Dal Secular governments too had given “gifts” to “friendly” reporters and their bosses, but he didn’t know if there was a cash component.

“It baffles me why they took the risk of sending out cash even to friendly journalists, that too at such a time,” the official said, alluding to the Congress’s “PayCM” campaign against Bommai.

The Congress launched the campaign in September by plastering posters across the city. A QR code embedded with Bommai’s face in the posters takes one to a 40percentsarkara.com website where the Congress has listed the corruption allegations against the BJP government.

‘Cash’ for posting

A video clip circulating on social media purportedly shows M.T.B. Nagaraj, minister for small-scale industries, talking about a bribe that a police inspector, who died on Friday, had apparently paid for his posting.

The purported comment appeared insensitive, too, for Nagaraj seemed to be suggesting that the officer, who had suffered a heart attack after being suspended for dereliction of duty, died from the trauma of the alleged bribe going waste.

“You are bound to feel the tension if you pay Rs 70-80 lakh for posting,” Nagaraj is purportedly heard telling a police officer while walking to the home of the deceased inspector, K.H. Nandish.

Opposition politicians claimed that Nandish had paid the alleged bribe for his latest posting, to K.R. Puram police station in Bangalore, under the BJP government.

“Who did Nandish pay Rs 70-80 lakh to? How much of it went to senior police officers, the home minister and the chief minister?” former chief minister and JDS leader H.D. Kumaraswamy said.

Priyank Kharge, Chittapur MLA and chairman of the state Congress communications wing, tweeted: “Imagine the level of corruption in the BJP Govt, it is 80 lakhs for an Inspector to be transferred to KR Puram police station in Bengaluru. What would be the price for transfers for officials up in the hierarchy? @CMofKarnataka has made K’taka the Corruption Capital of India.”

Cash-for-posting allegations were made even during the tenures of Congress and JDS governments.