‘Valmiki Scam’ causes uproar in Assembly, LoP demands CM Siddaramaiah’s resignation

PTI, Jul 16, 2024, 6:27 PM IST

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Bengaluru: The alleged financial irregularities in a state-run corporation continued to create uproar in the Karnataka Legislative Assembly for the second consecutive day on Tuesday, with Leader of Opposition R Ashoka demanding Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s resignation.

The BJP leader said he held the Congress government accountable for the “loot” at the Valmiki Corporation.

He also said the government was responsible for the suicide of the corporation’s official — which led to the alleged scam being exposed — and questioned the fairness of the state government constituted Special Investigation Team’s (SIT) probe into it.

“The ST (Schedule Tribe) community has not got benefits due to them, as Rs 187 crore that was kept for the welfare of the community was plundered and taken to Telangana. Who will give (back) that money?

“The CM has to give the amount to ST community beneficiaries who were waiting for it. The money that was kept for the welfare of the ST community has gone for the enjoyment of some people,” Ashoka said.

He said the money kept for the welfare of ST community was “looted” through PhonePe, Google Pay, and RTGS.

“If the curse of the Valmiki community should not touch you, the government should release Rs 187 crore to the beneficiaries immediately. There should be a thorough probe by the CBI and ED into this financial irregularity.

“As such, a huge scam wouldn’t have happened without coming to the notice of the Finance Department, he said, “and as the chief minister holds the finance portfolio, he should resign assuming moral responsibility.” He called the government the offender in the case.

As Ashoka demanded he CM’s resignation, several ministers and members sitting in the treasury benches took strong objection to it, leading to a heated exchange between them and the opposition side.

The illegal money transfer issue involving the Karnataka Maharshi Valmiki Scheduled Tribes Development Corporation Ltd came to light after its accounts superintendent, Chandrashekhar 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 said that out of the sum, 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.

Scheduled Tribes Welfare Minister B Nagendra tendered his resignation on June 6 after allegations were made against him in connection with the scam. He is currently under Enforcement Directorate custody.

Highlighting the plight and sorry state of the corporation’s deceased officer Chandrashekhar’s family, Ashoka said his wife is fighting for justice despite all difficulties.

He said that for the Rs 187 crore scam to come out Chandrashekhar had to sacrifice his life. “Fearing humiliations, innocent Chandrashekhar ended his life… If he had not committed suicide, the entire Rs 187 crore would have gone ‘khata-khat’ to Telangana.”

Pointing out that a minister is a “watchman or custodian” of every paisa of taxpayers money, the LoP said that the CM himself had accepted that the irregularity had taken place, and therefore neither Siddaramaiah nor the Finance Department nor the government can shrug off responsibility claiming they were unaware of the scam.

Ashoka also hit out at government over the SIT probe, questioning why, despite 40 days since the scam to light, the investigation team had not issued notice to Nagendra and ruling Congress MLA Basanagouda Daddal, who is the chairman of the corporation.

He compared it with the “quickness” shown by another SIT of the state police which is probing into allegations of sexual abuse against former JD(S) MP Prajwal Revanna, in interrogating his father and MLA H D Revanna, mother Bhavani Revanna, and BJP MLA Pritham Gowda in a linked case.

“Has the SIT been formed to probe financial the irregularities for a ‘coverup’,” he asked.

Taking a dig at Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Senior BJP MLA Suresh Kumar said in the assembly: “There are two things. One is SIT — Special Investigation Team, the other is SSIT — Siddaramaiah Shivakumar Investigation Team.” Shivakumar and Congress’s MLAs took strong exception to this.