CM Bommai accuses Congress of playing politics over alleged bitcoin scam issue
Bengaluru, Nov 15: Accusing the Congress of playing politics on the alleged bitcoin scam issue, Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Monday once again asked the opposition party to give documents, if any, to the investigating agencies.
"You should ask them (Congress) the question, what I have said is, if there is any document, give it to the ED or to the police, it will be taken seriously. I have already said that if there is any truth, it will be investigated," Bommai said in response to a question on the bitcoin issue.
Speaking to reporters here, he said, the Congress wants to "keep the non-issue alive, and it is nothing but politics".
"There is no question of setting any narrative, there is no story, so how can you set a narrative there," he added.
There have been speculations for some time now about involvement of politically influential people in the scam after CCB officials seized bitcoins worth Rs nine crore from a city-based hacker Srikrishna alias Sriki, who is also accused of hacking into government portals, sourcing drugs through the dark net, and paying for it through cryptocurrency.
Congress leaders have alleged the involvement of senior BJP leaders, their family members and senior officials in the scam, and have accused the government of trying to cover up; the ruling party too in its counter has alleged involvement of leaders from the grand old party.
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Karnataka govt to establish Gig Workers’ Welfare Board
Bengaluru, Apr 3 (PTI): The Karnataka government decided to establish a Gig Workers’ Welfare Board, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s office said on Thursday.
The decision was made following a discussion between Siddaramaiah and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in New Delhi.
According to a statement issued by the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO), Rahul Gandhi inquired about the timeline for formulating the Gig Workers' Welfare Act, which he had promised during his Bharat Jodo Yatra and the elections.
"The Karnataka government has decided to establish a Gig Workers' Welfare Board to ensure the well-being of workers employed by companies like Amazon, Flipkart, Ola, Uber, and others," the statement said.
It further stated that a five per cent cess would be collected from the concerned companies, while the state government would provide the remaining funds required to support welfare schemes for gig workers.
"A comprehensive bill covering all aspects of gig workers' welfare will be prepared and presented before the state cabinet for approval," the statement added.
Three gig worker representatives—Rakshitha Dev, Sheikh Salahuddin, and Nikhil Dev—were also invited to the meeting.
They appreciated the government's initiative and expressed hope for improved working conditions.
State ministers Santosh Lad, Priyank Kharge, and M B Patil were present at the meeting.
Santosh Lad was quoted as saying that Rahul Gandhi, who had earlier advocated for gig workers' rights during the Bharat Jodo Yatra, welcomed the eight-point proposal prepared by the Labour department.
Rahul Gandhi also emphasised the need for swift implementation to safeguard gig workers' interests.
"The Karnataka Labour Department has already introduced three key bills—covering workers' gratuity, cinema workers' rights, and now, gig workers' welfare. The unorganised workers' sector has lauded the government's efforts and extended full support for this progressive move," the statement quoted Lad as saying.
