Mysuru, June 4 -- Karnataka Energy Minister K.J. George has strongly refuted the BJP's allegations of kickbacks in the State's smart meter installation project, terming them "baseless and politically motivated."

Addressing reporters in Mysuru, George said, "The BJP has neither proof nor a valid basis for its claims. If they have evidence, let them present it in Court. These accusations are just a continuation of their pattern - they did the same in the IAS Officer D.K. Ravi and Dy.SP M.K. Ganapathi's suicide cases, and even the CBI did not call me for questioning then. Their real target is not me but the Congress party and its smooth governance under CM Siddaramaiah."

George added that there was no need to react to "unfounded remarks dr...