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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Sambhal violence: Protesters to pay for damage to property, posters of 'stone pelters' to be put up
Lucknow (PTI): The Uttar Pradesh government will make protesters involved in the Sambhal violence pay for damage to public property while posters of "stone pelters" will be displayed at public places, an official said on Wednesday.
Four people died and scores, including police personnel, were injured in Sambhal on Sunday after a confrontation erupted over a court-ordered survey of the city's Shahi Jama Masjid in Kot Garvi area, following a petition claiming that a Harihar temple once stood at the site.
"The UP government is adopting a firm stance against the individuals involved in the Sambhal violence. Posters of the stone pelters and miscreants will be displayed publicly, and recovery of damages will be sought. A reward may also be announced for information leading to their arrest," an official spokesperson said.
In a similar initiative, the government had previously put up posters of individuals linked to vandalism during the anti-CAA protests in 2020. These posters were displayed across several locations, including the state capital, but were later removed following a court order.
The violence in Sambhal erupted on Sunday when a large crowd gathered near a mosque and began chanting slogans as a survey team resumed its work. The situation escalated when the protesters clashed with security personnel, set vehicles on fire, and pelted stones.
So far, police have arrested 25 individuals and registered seven FIRs, which include charges against Zia-ur-Rehman Barq, the Samajwadi Party MP from Sambhal, Sohail Iqbal, son of the party's local MLA Iqbal Mehmood, and over 2,750 unidentified suspects.
A magisterial probe is underway, and Superintendent of Police Krishna Kumar Vishnoi stated on Monday that the situation was now under control. He assured that "strict action will be taken against those responsible for the unrest."
