BENGALURU:
Karnataka CM
Siddaramaiah acknowledged Monday a
scam
of Rs 89.6 crore in the Karnataka
Maharishi Valmiki ST Development Corporation
, contradicting opposition's claim of Rs 187 crore. The admission came during a heated debate initiated by LoP R Ashoka of BJP in the legislative assembly.
Siddaramaiah, whose admission came when he intervened in Ashoka's opening remarks, denied accusations linking former ST minister B Nagendra to electoral funding fraud, saying, "No admissions were made regarding funds for Ballari LS elections as claimed by BJP and Ashoka.
These were arguments presented by ED during legal proceedings."
Ashoka accused undisclosed forces of "orchestrating the scam from clandestine headquarters", mourning the death of accountant Chandrashekar, calling him a "martyr" who succumbed under pressure to manipulate funds.
BJP's call for a CBI inquiry echoed through the assembly, citing concerns over alleged partiality of state police and a govt cover-up. "The demand for transparency is paramount given the seriousness of the allegations," Ashoka added.
The debate in the House on the issue was tumultuous, with repeated adjournments due to objections from Congress members who argued that ongoing probes by CBI, ED, and SIT should preclude discussion. Congress members also sought to delay the debate, prompting council chairman Basavaraj Horatti to consult advocate general Shashi Shetty. After deliberation, Horatti permitted a discussion on the condition that no individual linked to the case would be named during proceedings.
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