Siddaramaiah dares Karnataka BJP to order judicial inquiry into scams taken place in 16 years

GUNDLUPET: Former Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah on Saturday challenged the BJP government in the state to order a judicial inquiry against the alleged corruption that took place in the last 16 years, including five years of his tenure.

Attacking the BJP in a press conference, the Congress stalwart said when he was the Chief Minister, Prime Minister Narendra Modi in March 2018 had alleged that there was a '10 per cent commission government' in the state without assigning any documentary evidence.

Now, the head of a civil contractors' body Kempanna has alleged that the ministers in the BJP government were demanding a 40 per cent commission on public works.

"Kempanna is saying, 'Form a judicial commission. We will produce the relevant document. If we fail to prove our allegation, you take any action against us. Why are you not doing it, if you are honest?" Siddaramaiah sought to know.

The Congress leader said when he was the chief minister and the BJP was at the Centre, eight 'allegations' were handed over to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

He wondered why the incumbent BJP government has not handed over the case related to the commissions charged by state ministers to the CBI yet.

"The BJP says corruption took place during the Congress rule in the state. I challenge them to order a judicial inquiry to investigate all the cases that took place in the last 16 years in which BJP was in power for 10 years. But they (BJP) don't have the guts to do so," Siddaramaiah said.