State Wine Merchants Association Denies Allegations of Election Funding
Udupi: In a recent statement, Govindaraj Hegde, Secretary of the State Wine Merchants Association, addressed the allegations made by Prime Minister Narendra Modi regarding the Congress party’s financial transactions with liquor merchants in Karnataka during the Maharashtra elections.
Speaking to the media in Udupi, Hegde categorically denied claims that the Congress party received ₹900 crore from local liquor merchants for election-related purposes.
Hegde emphasized that the association has not provided any funds to the government or participated in election financing. “We never gave any money to the government for the elections,” he asserted, urging the public and media to refrain from involving the association in political disputes. He expressed concern that such allegations could be manipulated for political gain and called for an end to the speculation surrounding their financial practices.
The context of Hegde’s remarks follows a protest that took place on November 5th in Bengaluru, where over 3,000 license holders voiced their grievances against the alleged extortion tactics by excise officials. They accused these officials of soliciting payments for promotions and transfers related to their business operations but reiterated that no payments had been made in connection with election financing.
Hegde reiterated the association’s stance, stating, “We are businessmen, not politicians,” and emphasized that there should be no expectation for the merchants to finance elections. He pointed out that similar demands from government officials have been ongoing for the past 15 years, attributing this trend to systemic issues within the political landscape.
As the dialogue surrounding election financing continues, the State Wine Merchants Association remains steadfast in its commitment to staying out of political affairs and has called on politicians to refrain from misrepresenting their statements for electoral purposes.
