Will investigate all scams of previous BJP term: DCM DK Shivakumar
Bengaluru, Jul 19: Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Friday said the government will investigate all the scams that have taken place during the previous BJP government's tenure.
He alleged that the BJP government at the time had siphoned off over Rs 300 crore from various departments.
Speaking to reporters at Vidhana Soudha, he said, “During the previous BJP government, headed by former chief ministers B S Yediyurappa and Basavaraj Bommai, there were scams in various departments amounting to Rs 300 crore. We will reveal the details in the House.”
He was reacting to the BJP’s charges related to the Rs 187 crore scam in the Karnataka Maharshi Valmiki Scheduled Tribe Development Corporation, including the illegal transfer of Rs 88 crore to various bank accounts.
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During the previous BJP rule, Rs 87 crore from Bhovi Development Corporation, Rs 47 crore from APMC, Rs 22 crore from Disabled Welfare department, Rs 5 crore from Ambedkar Development Corporation, Rs 47 crore from Devaraj Urs Development Corporation, and Rs 10 crore from KSPCB and KIADB had been illegally transferred to Salem in Tamil Nadu, Shivakumar, who is also the Congress state president, alleged.
Asked if the government would investigate these scams, Shivakumar said, “We will certainly investigate them. We will reveal the details in the House as we want everything to be recorded. We will tell people that the ministers, corporation chairmen and chief ministers were involved in these scams.”
He said that BJP MLA and former Union Minister Basanagouda Patil Yatnal’s had said that the chief minister’s post and minister’s post costs Rs 2,500 crore and Rs 100 crore respectively.
Another BJP leader Goolihatti Shekar had spoken about corruption in the Bhovi Development Corporation but the BJP did not investigate it, the DCM claimed.
“Debates are not allowed in the House for cases where the investigations are still ongoing, but we allowed it only to uphold democratic principles. We don’t want to protect any minister, MLA or an officer if guilty,” he added.
Shivakumar said Special Investigation Team team formed by the state government to investigate the transfer of Rs 88 crore to Telangana from the Karnataka Maharshi Valmiki Scheduled Tribe Development Corporation has already recovered Rs 36 crore.
“The previous BJP government has covered up many scams and has tried to cover up many others. The Chief minister has exposed their scams such as Bit coin scam, Parashurama theme park scam, Gangakalyana scam, PSI scam, etc,” the DCM said.
Many documents were found in the residence of Yediyurappa’s personal assistant Umesh with regard to the illegal transfer of Rs 750 crore, and other scams of the BJP government, Shivakumar alleged.
Former BJP minister Eshwarappa too had lodged a complaint against Yediyurappa with the governor, he said, adding that investigations are on regarding that.
“The BJP government did not hand over the Guru Raghavendra Cooperative Bank scam amounting to thousands of crores (of rupees) to the CBI. We will discuss investigating that scam as well,” he said.
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NADA suspends Bajrang Punia for four years for violation of anti-doping code
New Delhi, Nov 26: The National Anti-Doping Agency on Tuesday suspended Bajrang Punia for four years for his refusal to provide his sample for dope test on March 10 during selection trials for the national team.
NADA had first suspended the Tokyo Games bronze medallist wrestler on April 23 for the offence following which, the World Governing body UWW had also suspended him.
Bajrang had appealed against the provisional suspension and NADA’s Anti-Disciplinary Doping panel (ADDP) had revoked it on May 31 till NADA issues the notice of charge.
NADA, then on June 23 served the notice to the wrestler.
Bajrang, who joined Congress along with fellow wrestler Vinesh Phogat and was given charge of All India Kisan Congress, had challenged the charge on July 11 in a written submission following which hearings were held on September 20 and October 4.
"The Panel holds that the Athlete is liable for sanctions under Article 10.3.1 and liable for ineligibility for a period of 4 years," the ADDP said in its order.
The suspension means that Bajrang will not be able to return to competitive wrestling and apply for a coaching job abroad, if he aspires to.
"In the present case, since the Athlete had been provisionally suspended, the Panel accordingly holds that the Athlete’s period of his ineligibility for the period of 4 years shall commence from the date on which the notification was sent, i.e., 23.04.2024.
"Needless to say that on account of the lifting of the provisional suspension for the period from 31.05.2024 to 21.06.2024 shall not be credited into the total period of ineligibility of four years."
Bajrang has maintained since the beginning that he was given extremely prejudicial and unfair treatment with respect to doping control because of his involvement in the protest against former WFI President Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh.
Bajrang also maintained that he never refused to give sample but only demanded to know NADA’s response to his email where he sought answer why expired kits were sent to take his samples in December 2023.
NADA also explained the reason for its action, saying that the Chaperone/DCO had duly approached him and informed that he was required to provide a urine sample for dope analysis purposes.
Bajrang in his written submission said that the conduct of NADA in two previous instances had created mistrust in the athlete's mind, especially with NADA failing to acknowledge or even respond to their callous approach towards the doping control process in both such instances, the failure to take responsibility for their action pertaining to their dispersal of duties meant that the athlete was morally bound to take a stance in resort as a senior athlete who holds a voice in the sporting community.
Bajrang also said "it was not an outright refusal per se. The athlete was always willing to provide his sample provided that he first received a response from NADA concerning the use of expired kits."
However NADA said, "the outright refusal by the athlete to provide urine sample for the dope test was intentional and deliberate" and that "Athlete has demonstrated utter disregard towards his duties and responsibilities as per Articles 20.1 & 20.2 of the Anti Doping Rules, 2021."
