BENGALURU: Senior BJP leaders in Karnataka on Saturday demanded a CBI probe into the recovery of Rs 42 crore from a contractor’s residence in Bengaluru by the Income Tax Department officials.
BJP leader and former DyCM R Ashoka said corruption is rampant in Karnataka and the State Government seems to have an understanding with the Congress Central leaders and are providing funds for elections in the five states. “Why was money not released to contractors before the elections were declared in the five states?” he asked.
Ashoka also said that a Telangana minister has alleged that money seized from the contractor’s house was being sent to that poll-bound state. Union Home Minister Amit Shah had warned that if Congress comes to power, ATM government will be formed in Karnataka, Ashoka said and added that now it has been proved.
Former CM Basavaraj Bommai said the State Government and the contractors are jointly looting the state and the contractor’s association has become the State Government’s commission collection centre. The recovery of money has to be probed by ED and CBI, Bommai said.
This is the most corrupt government that Karnataka has seen, the former CM said and added that it had been going on openly and for the first time that a large chunk of money had been recovered from the house of a close relative of a contractor, soon after the release of the pending bill money to the contractors.
The BJP leader said the contractors’ association made baseless allegations against the previous government and now the same association was working as the government’s commission collection centre.