'Separated 32 Years Ago...No Connection With Brother Gopal Joshi': Union Minister Pralhad Joshi

Union Minister Pralhad Joshi denied any ties to the BJP ticket fraud case, clarifying he’s had no contact with brother Gopal Joshi.

New Delhi/Hubli:Union Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution Pralhad Joshi addressed the media on Friday, firmly denying any connection to the ongoing BJP ticket fraud case in Bengaluru, specifically regarding Gopal Joshi. "I have no sister," Joshi stated. "My mother has four children, one of whom is Gopal Joshi, but we haven’t been in contact for the last 32 years." He emphasised that if anyone is misusing his name for personal gain, it has no relation to him.

He mentioned that a City Civil Court in Bengaluru had issued an injunction in 2013 prohibiting the mention of his name in connection with such matters, and he provided documentation to support this claim. "Vijayalakshmi has been inaccurately described as my sister in the FIR registered in Bengaluru. In reality, I have no sister, which makes these allegations baseless," he asserted.

Joshi reiterated that his family and the BJP are not implicated in the case and called for action against Gopal Joshi if wrongdoing has occurred. "I have been in politics for 25 years. While others have faced corruption allegations, I maintain a clean record," he stated in response to criticism from the Congress party.

An FIR has been registered at the Basaveshwarnagar police station against Gopal Joshi for allegedly defrauding a former JDS MLA of Rs 2 crore under the pretext of securing a BJP Lok Sabha ticket.