BENGALURU: Assembly on Tuesday witnessed chaotic scenes with former home minister Araga Jnanendra and Revenue Minister Krishna Byre Gowda indulging in a spat over the issue of the alleged multi-crore scam in the Karnataka Maharshi Valmiki Schedule Tribes Development Corporation Ltd. The legislators from the Opposition BJP alleged that the money was used by the Congress to fund the recent Lok Sabha elections. The Ruling Congress MLAs took a strong exception to this allegation.
When Jnanendra sought clarification from the government, as the Directorate of Enforcement had stated that money was spent on the polls, Byre Gowda intervened and sought proof for the allegation.
Jnanendra recalled instances from the past, including former CM Ramakrishna Hegde resigning after he was accused of a scam. “Siddarmaiah should follow that example,” the former minister said. Byre Gowda hit back, as Jnanendra did not resign when the PSI recruitment scam surfaced in the previous BJP government when the latter was the home minister. There was a war of words between BJP MLAs, including Dr CN Ashwath Narayaran, and RDPR Minister Priyank Kharge, resulting in chaos. Jnanendra observed that Siddaramaiah has lost control of the government, including the Finance Department.
BJP Vijayapura City MLA Basanagouda Patil Yatnal said that the leaders in the Congress are conspiring to remove Siddaramaiah as CM. Earlier, the state BJP chief and Shikaripura MLA BY Vijeyendra lashed out at the State Government.
“Being a spectator to a murder is equal to committing the murder, and hence Siddaramaiah should resign from his post, shouldering moral responsibility as his government has meted out injustice to the Dalits,” he said.
Cannot take names when probe is on: Parameshwara
Meanwhile, when Vijayendra took the names of the officials, Nagendra and corporation chairperson Basanagouda Daddal, Home Minister Dr G Parameshwara took a strong objection, saying that with three agencies—the CBI, ED and SIT— probing the matter, it was not right for a member to name others.
BJP MLA Sunil Kumar further attacked the Congress and sought to know whether the money spent on the LS polls in Ballari and Amethi. “Gali gali mein chor hai, Congress party chor hain,” the BJP legislators shouted slogans.
CM to reply on Thursday?
As the session was adjourned to Thursday (Wednesday is a holiday on account of Muharram), Chief Minister Siddaramaiah is likely to reply to the allegations of the opposition on that day.