Dear Diary: Twitter Goes Crazy on Chowkidar Yeddyurappa Allegedly Noting Down Rs 180000000000 Scam In A Diary
Many wondered if the mainstream media would ignore this big story.
The Caravan magazine published an exposé on Friday, March 22, alleging that former Karnataka chief minister BS Yeddyurappa had paid Rs 1,800 crore to BJP leaders such as Arun Jaitley, Nitin Gadkari, Rajnath Singh and other advocates and judges.
The report pointed out how the Income Tax Department sat on the incriminating handwritten diary entries. Finance minister Arun Jaitley, who also featured in the list, did not initiate any action after being alerted of the situation in 2017.
A report this explosive has set social media ablaze, especially as this comes with only months away from the Lok Sabha polls. In fact, with everyone trying to access the report all at once, the Caravan website crashed for a little while.
Our website is down owing to traffic, and will be back up shortly.
— The Caravan (@thecaravanindia) March 22, 2019
Freelance journalist and Youtuber Dhruv Rathee pointed out that BS Yeddyurappa does not have the cleanest record when it comes to corruption:
Fun Fact: Back in 2011, Chowkidaar Yeddyurappa has already been to jail for other accusations of corruption against him
— Dhruv Rathee (@dhruv_rathee) March 22, 2019
Remember, the story isn't just that there was a diary in which Yeddyurappa detailed payoffs he made and money he received.
The story is that the Income Tax department *has* this diary, which is actionable intelligence, and should've started investigating https://t.co/CUKKynOjpv
— Rohan Venkat (@RohanV) March 22, 2019
Brilliant, brilliant story by Caravan.
— Ashish K. Mishra (@akm1410) March 22, 2019
HUGE. @BJP4India is totally exposed with this story by Caravan. https://t.co/wSSwxvYYjZ
— Amey Tirodkar (@ameytirodkar) March 22, 2019
What a kickass story by Caravan.
It's on days like these that my faith in subscriber funded news goes up big time.— meghnad (Nerds ka Parivaar) (@Memeghnad) March 22, 2019
This is huge! If what Caravan is reporting is true, then this is huge. Not surprising why channels have chosen to look the other way. @JantaKaReporter https://t.co/5n2LruZs55
— Rifat Jawaid (@RifatJawaid) March 22, 2019
Who are these judges and lawyers who have been given ₹250 crore and ₹50 crore? @thecaravanindia publishes diary allegedly belonging to BS Yeddyurappa @BSYBJP #Diary pic.twitter.com/tsJFCRo8yi
— Bar and Bench (@barandbench) March 22, 2019
This would be the ideal time for PM Modi to address a press conference and clear the air on the allegations except we know he won't. https://t.co/r4uUYo3ALG
— Raghav Chopra (@RaghavChopra_) March 22, 2019
https://twitter.com/RoshanKrRai/status/1109027862093324289
Dear chowkidar, why no investigation into this? #YeddyurappaDiaries #ChowkidarChorHai https://t.co/2GwI5IiNbJ
— Umar Khalid (@UmarKhalidJNU) March 22, 2019
Journalist Rohini Singh pointed out the holes in BJP’s defence:
Doesn’t refute it exactly. It merely says it’s DK Shivkumar’s version vs Yeddy’s version and forensic tests on the handwriting can’t be done because the originals aren’t available! https://t.co/i80NnfrPhs
— Rohini Singh (@rohini_sgh) March 22, 2019
Some were quick to point out the mainstream media had blinders on:
Every news channel avoiding the Caravan expose on BJP corruption must prefix Chowkidar to their channel names so its clear to the audience that they belong to a political party
— Raghav Chopra (@RaghavChopra_) March 22, 2019
NDTV is carrying a Congress presser about the Caravan story live. India Today and CNN-News18 started carrying it, then jumped off. Republic and TimesNow are on Jitin Prasada. The Hindi news channels are on their afternoon entertainment programming.
— Rohan Venkat (@RohanV) March 22, 2019
By ignoring the Caravan story that too in the election season, tv news channels have done a great disservice to journalism and Democracy. This is what we do. Question people in power . We are still on Pitroda which may have been the lead on a normal day. Not today. Shame
— Abhisar Sharma (@abhisar_sharma) March 22, 2019
Channels which were going hammer and tongs about comments of Sam Pitroda, who isn't even a Congress leader, aren't even covering @INCIndia presser on #yeddyurappa tapes.
— Aditya Menon (@AdityaMenon22) March 22, 2019
Now why isn’t this surprising. News channels are a disgrace to journalism…. https://t.co/od9ijsJYkR
— Rohini Singh (@rohini_sgh) March 22, 2019
Let’s see which media houses will dare to talk about Chowkidaar Yeddyurappa’s dairy
Allegedly, ₹1500 crore paid to senior BJP leaders..#YeddyDiaries https://t.co/Sd0jEks8XC
— Dhruv Rathee (@dhruv_rathee) March 22, 2019
Others joked about the meticulous crime records written in a diary:
https://twitter.com/Bhayankur/status/1109011203374964739
And I thought keeping a diary was a lost art
— Jairaj Singh (@JairajSinghR) March 22, 2019
Before BS Yeddyurappa, the last guy to write down incriminating stuff in a diary was Amitabh Bachchan as Don is 1978.
— Ramesh Srivats (@rameshsrivats) March 22, 2019
BS Yeddyurappa owes me 500 crores. Just found a page of his diary here with me. 🙏🏼
— P (@pizzling) March 22, 2019
#GautamGambhir political timing is just like his batting, a little late. BSY has already paid out BJP leaders. #JantaMaafNahiKaregi #ChowkidarChorHai
— Raghav Chopra (@RaghavChopra_) March 22, 2019
https://twitter.com/TheFarkatLadka/status/1109026483358650368
All those bribed by "BS Yeddyurappa" have put "Chowkidar" on their twitter accounts. 😜
— Suresh Sharma (@meSureshSharma) March 22, 2019
The accusation against BS Yeddyurappa and BJP’s highest functionaries in the cabinet come, as the newly formed Lokpal was recently announced on March 19, 2019. Only time will tell if the ruling party will scoff at the serious allegation or allow the Lokpal to investigate the corruption charges.