Amid allegations by opposition BJP against the government with demand for CM’s resignation, the ruling Congress members expressed doubts about the Enforcement Directorate’s probe into the matter alleging that it seems to be aimed at destabilising the government in the state.
The illegal money transfer issue, involving Karnataka Maharshi Valmiki Scheduled Tribes Development Corporation Ltd, came to the fore, after its accounts superintendent, Chandrasekharan P, died by suicide on May 26, leaving behind a note.
The note revealed the unauthorised transfer of Rs 187 crore belonging to the Corporation from its bank account, and from that, Rs 88.62 crore was illegally moved to various accounts allegedly belonging to “well-known” IT companies and a Hyderabad-based cooperative bank among others.
Following allegations against him in connection with the scam, Scheduled Tribes Welfare Minister B Nagendra tendered his resignation on June 6. He is currently under the custody of the Enforcement Directorate, which is probing the scam.
“It is not Dalits, it is Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribes according to the Constitution, however much ever you (BJP) speak about Dalits, no one can call you pro-Dalits or SC/STs. It is clear from their programmes while in power that BJP people are against social justice,” Siddaramaiah said, countering the opposition party for targeting him and his government on the issue.
BJP legislators strongly objected to it, with senior party MLA C N Ashwath Narayan saying: “We are telling how the Congress government and Siddaramaiah is against social justice.”
To this, the Chief Minister said: “should I bring out certain things (irregularities or corruption)?…I will bring out certain things. I will bring out what happened during whose time.”
Ashwath Narayan retorted back and said, “bring out… who said no, you have been given power as you claimed you will set things right and you were against corruption.”
“Yours is 100 percent (corruption), Pay CM– hundred per cent….you should be ashamed. Yours is an immoral government, you should be ashamed,” he told Siddaramaiah.
This led to a heated argument, as Congress members took strong exception to it, leading to chaos.
Siddaramaiah too, on his part, hitting out at BJP, called Ashwath Narayan “‘Pitamaha’ of corruption…..you should be ashamed.”
Several BJP MLAs rose to defend the party and its leader following which the House witnessed uproarious scenes.
Ashwath Narayan questioned, “are you threatening us, by saying you will bring things out?”
The Chief Minister said, “Are you accusing me of corruption? It has been 40 years since I became Minister (first), there has not been any black spot on me in forty years….you are speaking lies.”
Attacking the BJP, he said, “if you all come together I won’t fear….you may say whatever you want, your corruption is out in the open, the state contractors association has accused them (BJP) of 40 per cent commission, they should be ashamed….cowards. Losing assembly polls you are sitting there.”
Ashwath Narayan continued his attack, saying “you are corrupt….look at the Congress’ situation with such a corrupt CM. Congress doesn’t have an able leader to become CM…they don’t have any other alternative,…”
Ministers Krishna Byre Gowda and Dinesh Gundu Rao, jumping to Siddaramaiah’s defence, asked the Chair to send Ashwath Narayan out, as he “doesn’t know how to speak being a former Deputy Chief Minister.”
Ashwath Narayan said, “I’m speaking truth, accept the truth…..what morality you have, you came to power claiming to get rid of corruption.”
Siddaramaiah said, “I will expose what happened during their (BJP) tenure…as we have stopped corruption, scams after scam (during BJP) are coming out and their leader and former MLC Veeraiah has gone to jail (in Devaraj Urs Truck Terminal scam). What happened in APMC? Bovi Development Corruption ….you should be ashamed.”
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When Congress Ministers pointed out cases against some BJP leaders, BJP MLA Sunil Kumar hit back noting that Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar was in jail, and cases of disproportionate assets are still pending against him.Making critical remarks against the ED, which is conducting a probe into the scam, Chief Minister’s Legal Advisor and Virajpet Congress MLA, A S Ponnanna said, suspicion arises that ED and opposition seems to have “colluded”.
“The intention seems to be to bring a bad name to the government. ED is being used as a wagon to destabilise a stable government that has come to power with the blessings of the people….The aim seems to be to hide truth, mislead people and bring bad name to the Chief Minister and the government. What does CM has to do with transfer of money?” he said.
Meanwhile, Shivamogga BJP MLA, S N Channabasappa demanded compensation from the government to deceased Chandrasekharan’s family and support for his children’s education. He held the government responsible for his suicide calling it a “murder by the government system.”