BJP leader, ex-CM Sadananda Gowda seeks Siddaramaiah’s resignation over Valmiki scam

PTI, Oct 17, 2024, 6:22 PM IST

Targeting Chief Minister Siddaramaiah in connection with the multi-crore scam in Karnataka Maharshi Valmiki Scheduled Tribes Development Corporation, senior BJP leader D V Sadananda Gowda on Thursday urged him to resign on the occasion of Valmiki Jayanti.

The former Chief Minister also claimed that certain recent developments show that Siddaramaiah is likely to resign soon.

“…..I urge CM Siddaramaiah to resign today because it is a good day. They (ruling Congress) have swallowed a huge amount of money belonging to Valmiki Corporation, and today is Valmiki Jayanti. So, I urge him to retire from politics by resigning from the chief ministerial post today. it will certainly provide him with some relief,” Gowda told reporters here.

Claiming that Siddaramaiah has accepted the guilt, by admitting that there was misappropriation to the tune of about Rs 89 crore in the Corporation, Gowda, citing the CM recently offering prayers to Goddesses and Savadatti Yellamma and Chamundeshwari of Mysuru, said: “he seemed as though he was expressing his guilt and was seeking excuse from the god with a request to bring him out of the scandals.” The illegal money transfer scam involving Corporation came to the fore, after its accounts superintendent, Chandrasekharan P, died by suicide on May 26, leaving behind a note

After the scam came to light, Congress MLA B Nagendra resigned as the Scheduled Tribes Welfare Minister in June. The ED had in July arrested Nagendra under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), and also five other key accused during the investigation. He was released on bail on Wednesday.

The ED had said its investigation revealed that under the influence of Nagendra, the account of the corporation was moved to the MG Road Branch (of bank) without any proper authorisation, where Rs 187 crore, including Rs. 43.33 crore from the State Treasury under the ‘Ganga Kalyana Scheme’, were deposited without following proper procedures and in violation of government guidelines.

These funds were subsequently siphoned off through multiple shell accounts and converted into cash and bullion. ED investigation also revealed that an amount of Rs 20.19 crore of the diverted funds was used to support a candidate contesting the 2024 Lok Sabha election from the Bellary constituency, as well as for the personal expenses of Nagendra, the federal probe agency has said.

The opposition has been demanding Siddaramaiah’s resignation in the case, stating that such a huge amount couldn’t have been transferred without the knowledge of the CM, who also holds the Finance department portfolio, with money from the treasury also being involved.

Reacting to the CM earlier in the day announcing that all ST residential schools in the state and Raichur University will be named after Maharshi Valmiki, Gowda said: “after swallowing the money that was allocated for the development of Valmiki community, now naming the schools in his name won’t serve the purpose.” The real intention of the government should be the welfare of the people from the Valmiki community, he said.