Approach me only if corruption amount is over Rs 15 lakh: BJP MP

BJP party symbol. File Pic

Stirring up a controversy, BJP MP Janardan Mishra said that he should be approached only if an individual is accused of corruption for an amount exceeding Rs 15 lakh, as per a report in The Indian Express.

In a video that went viral online, the BJP MP from Madhya Pradesh's Rewa is heard saying, "When people accuse a Sarpanch (village head) of corruption, I jokingly tell them that if corruption is up to Rs 15 lakh don't come to me. Come only if it's (corruption) beyond Rs 15 lakh."

Speaking at a seminar on the role of media in dealing with the current challenges, he said that people come to him in large numbers with concerns pertaining to the corruption by Sarpanches. Mishra said the candidate spends the "first Rs 7 lakh in contesting the elections, the next Rs 7 lakh for the next election, and Rs 1 lakh in view of the rising inflation".

His remarks come a day after perfume trader Piyush Jain was sent to judicial custody for 14 days in a tax evasion case by a district court in Uttar Pradesh's Kanpur. His arrest has sparked a war of words between the BJP and Samajwadi Party, with both accusing each other of having dubious links with Jain.