'PayCS' posters targeting Karnataka minister Chaluvarayaswamy appear in Mandya, BJP workers detained

Karnataka Police on Friday detained BJP workers for pasting posters of ‘PayCS’ with a QR Code in the district headquarters town of Mandya targeting state Agriculture Minister N Chaluvarayaswamy on Thursday over alleged corruption. The police also removed the posters which were pasted at different locations in the town.

#WATCH | Police took preventive custody of BJP workers who were pasting PayCS, Pay Cheluvarayaswamy (a campaign against Karnataka agriculture minister Cheluvarayaswamy) posters at Sanjay Circle and near a bus stop in Karnataka's Mandya. (10.08) pic.twitter.com/HwGJYAkGOo

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The opposition BJP as well as the JD(S) have distanced themselves from the “poster campaign” claiming that it is a ‘people’s movement’ and they have nothing to do with it. According to police sources, several posters with a QR code with an image of Chaluvarayaswamy surfaced at public places on Thursday. A copycat of the UPI app PayTM’s style, which the Congress party had spoofed in its ‘PayCM’ campaign targeting then Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai before the Assembly elections, the ‘PayCS’ poster similarly accuses Chaluvarayaswamy, who is the Mandya district in-charge minister, of collecting bribes. “PayCS, Six to eight lakh rupees accepted here. Scan this QR Code to make Chaluvaraya Swamy pay for Karnataka Congress. For any transfer deal, PAYCS KARO!” read the posters. Mandya BJP district president CP Umesh said, “It’s not a BJP campaign. I came to know that some youth said to be BJP workers have been detained. I am yet to get details of the arrest but we are not involved. The people of Mandya have stood up against the Minister.” A JD(S) leader said his party has no role in the campaign. “There are many problems within the Mandya Congress unit. It could be the handiwork of such people only,” he said. Recently, seven assistant directors of the agriculture department in Mandya allegedly wrote to Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot accusing Minister Chaluvaraya Swamy of demanding Rs 6 lakh to Rs 8 lakh through the joint director. The Governor forwarded it to Chief Secretary Vandita Sharma, asking her to take appropriate action. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Chaluvarayaswamy and the Agriculture Joint Director of Mandya district called the letter sent to the Governor “fake”. Siddaramaiah later ordered a CID inquiry into the purported letter. The chief minister called it a fake letter and blamed the BJP and their ‘brother’, an apparent reference to the JD(S) leader and former Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy, for “creating it”. Chaluvarayaswamy also called on the Governor and told him that the letter was fake. He also requested him to enquire about such letters in future before sending them to the government. With inputs from agencies