BENGALURU: Amid the chaos, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah replied to the debate on the multi-crore scam in the Karnataka Maharshi Valmiki Scheduled Tribes Development Corporation Ltd, in the Legislative Council on Monday.
As the BJP members entered the well of the House and protested demanding the CM’s resignation, Siddaramaiah tabled a written reply, assuring the members that the government would ensure punishment to those behind the scam.
As many as 15 members of the Upper House had debated the issue for over seven hours. In his reply, the CM attacked the BJP, stating that the only intention of the saffron party was to bring disrepute to him and clarified that the government, finance department or he had no role in the irregularities.
“I don’t say that there were no irregularities in the corporation. An investigation is on and the accused will be charge-sheeted. The government will take all steps to see that the guilty is punished,” he said.
The BJP members intervened several times during the CM’s reply, which led to a heated exchange between the members of the ruling and opposition ranks. Congress chief whip Saleem Ahmed urged Chairman Basavaraj Horatti to throw the opposition members out as they were not allowing the CM to speak. This enraged the BJP MLCs, who slammed him, stating that the opposition was there to question the government.
Continuing his speech, Siddaramaiah further attacked the BJP over reducing the allocation of funds for the welfare of SC/ST communities. He said these communities formed 24.10 per cent of the state’s population and he had allocated over Rs 29,000 crore for their welfare in his budget in 2017-18, but the JDS and BJP, over the next five years, kept reducing this.
“This year, our government has allocated Rs 39,121 crore for their welfare. It is our government which introduced SCSP/TSP and reservation in promotion,” the CM said, adding that the BJP had not done anything for their welfare and had no moral right to question the Congress’ commitment to the upliftment of the downtrodden sections of society.
At this juncture, the BJP members objected to the CM deviating from the issue. However, the CM continued with his reply, following which the BJP and JDS members raised slogans against him that Siddaramaiah was the ‘king of corruption’ and entered the well of the House, demanding his resignation. Stating that they were not letting him give his reply, the CM tabled his 12-page written reply and read it on record amidst the protest, after which the House was adjourned for a few minutes.