CBI, ED, IT should be impartial, not function in favour of one party, says CM Siddaramaiah
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Thursday said central agencies like CBI, ED and Income Tax should be impartial and not function in favour of one party.
He also said that the ruling Congress was ready to face and win November 13 by-polls in three assembly segments in the state.
"Nagendra (former Minister B Nagendra) has told the media that he was pressurised by the ED. He also informed me that he was pressurised to name me and D K Shivakumar (Deputy Chief Minister). No agency should work in favour of a party. Whether it is CBI or ED or Income Tax, they should function impartially," Siddaramaiah told reporters.
The Chief Minister was responding to former Minister B Nagendra's allegations that he was pressurised by the ED to name him and Shivakumar in the multi-crore scam in Karnataka Maharshi Valmiki Scheduled Tribes Development Corporation.
Nagendra had, after walking out of the jail on bail on Wednesday, also charged the ED (Directorate of Enforcement) with arresting him in connection with the scam, under pressure from the BJP, as part of a conspiracy to destabilise the Congress government.
Siddaramaiah said, in all the three constituencies that will go for by-polls, the Congress party is ready to face the election.
"..all preparations are being done. In two to three days, names (of candidates) will be announced. In all the three constituencies Congress party will win," he said.
Responding to a question on his meeting Congress general secretary (Organisation) K C Venugopal, along with Shivakumar on Wednesday evening, the CM said, "....we discussed the upcoming by-election."
The Election Commission of India on Tuesday announced that the bypolls to Sandur, Shiggaon and Channapatna will be held on November 13, and the results will be declared on November 23.
The last date for filing nominations is October 25, and the final date for withdrawal of papers is October 30.
By-polls for Sandur, Shiggaon, and Channapatna are necessitated, as the seats fell vacant following the election of their respective representatives -- E Tukaram of Congress, former CM Basavaraj Bommai of BJP, and Union Minister H D Kumaraswamy of JD(S) -- to Lok Sabha in May elections.
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I have a chance to become CM of Karnataka, says Ex-Minister B Nagendra
Ballari (Karnataka), Oct 17: Congress MLA B Nagendra, who was released on bail in the multi-crore Valmiki Corporation 'scam' case, on Thursday said he has a great future as he too has a chance to become the Chief Minister of the state.
Reacting to MLA Janardhana Reddy’s statement that there were 18 criminal cases against him, Nagendra told reporters here that there are instances of people with 100 criminal cases becoming Chief Minister.
Nagendra resigned as the Tribal Welfare Minister after the Rs 89.63 crore scam in the Karnataka Maharshi Valmiki Scheduled Tribes Development Corporation came to light.
The Directorate of Enforcement had arrested him and he was released on bail after three and half months on Wednesday.
“Not just 18, but those with 100 cases became Chief Minister. In the coming days I too have a great future. If I work dedicatedly for the Congress, why shouldn’t I become the Chief Minister?” the former minister asked.
He said, “Didn’t Congress make an ordinary worker like me a minister? Congress has a tradition of honouring ordinary workers.”
On his meeting with Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, he said he explained to him about the irregularities in the Valmiki Corporation.
“In the last three months, I could not discuss with him anything. After my sudden arrest, I could not speak to him. I told him about the incident that happened,” Nagendra said.
Regarding the scam, the Congress MLA said the irregularities gave him immense pain because he and the state government want that not a single rupee should be allowed to go.
“We have recovered Rs 79 crore. Karnataka’s SIT is the only institution which has recovered 99 per cent of the amount. Only Rs three crore has to be recovered. We will not let go even a single rupee. We will not spare these thieves,” he said.
Questioning those accused of being behind the scam, he sought to know whether money was recovered from him.
“Has the money recovered from me? The SIT has given me a clean chit. After the SIT gave me a clean chit, they (BJP) were afraid that the Congress will regain strength in Ballari. Hence they decided to ruin me. However, the court took note of it and granted me bail. I will come out clean in this case,” Nagendra said.
According to him, he was targeted because he is a growing leader and the BJP was not able to tolerate him because he takes everyone along.
He accused the BJP of attempting to destabilise the Congress government in Karnataka.
“When did BJP come to power on its own in Karnataka? Though we won 134 out of 224 seats in the assembly election, the BJP is trying to make petty attempts to destabilise our government.”
To a question will he would become minister again, Nagendra said the matter is left to the party high command.
“The court has granted bail. I am confident. It is left to the Chief Minister, high command and party president and Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar. Whatever decision they take, I will stick to it,” the MLA said.
