The Karnataka BJP protested statewide against the Congress government, demanding the resignation of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah over an alleged illegal money transfer scam involving the state-run Karnataka Maharshi Valmiki Scheduled Tribes Development Corporation. According to the party’s state President B Y Vijayendra and other leaders, the government is trying to cover up the scam and the Chief Minister is aware of the illegal activities. The alleged scam involves unauthorized transfers of Rs 187 crore from the corporation’s bank account to various accounts allegedly belonging to “well-known” IT companies and a Hyderabad-based cooperative bank.
The death note left behind by the corporation’s accounts superintendent, Chandrashekhar P, who died by suicide in May, named several officials, including the corporation’s then-managing Director J G Padmanabh, accounts officer Parashuram G Durugannavar, and Union Bank of India Chief Manager Suchismita Rawal, in connection with the scam. The note claimed that Minister B Nagendra had issued oral orders for transferring the funds. Following allegations against him, Scheduled Tribes Welfare Minister Nagendra tendered his resignation on June 6.
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah (Via Siddaramaiah/Twitter)
BJP’s Leader of Opposition R Ashoka accused the government of being corrupt and demanded Siddaramaiah’s resignation. He claimed that Nagendra’s involvement in the scam was only 20 per cent, with 80 per cent of the loot controlled by Siddaramaiah and his associates. Ashoka expressed confidence that more officials would resign in the coming days, stating that the fight against the corrupt government would continue.
The protests against the government’s alleged involvement in the scam led to the arrest of several BJP leaders, including Vijayendra, who was taken away in a bus while trying to march towards the Deputy Commissioner’s office in Chitradurga. The BJP plans to continue its protests and press for Siddaramaiah’s resignation during the upcoming Assembly session.
