Meeting Nagendra shows complicity of Siddaraimaiah in Valmiki corporation scam, claims BJP

Condemning former Minister B. Nagerndra felicitating Chief Minister Siddaramaiah soon after his release from prison on Wednesday, the BJP alleged on Thursday that it showed Mr. Siddaramaiah’s complicity in the Karnataka Mahashri Valmiki Scheduled Tribes Development Corporation Ltd. scam.

Condemning former Minister B. Nagerndra felicitating Chief Minister Siddaramaiah soon after his release from prison on Wednesday, the BJP alleged on Thursday that it showed Mr. Siddaramaiah’s complicity in the Karnataka Mahashri Valmiki Scheduled Tribes Development Corporation Ltd. scam.

In a statement on Thursday, BJP Karnataka general secretary V. Sunil Kumar said it was in the Legislative Assembly that the Chief Minister admitted that the corporation’s ₹84 crore was misappropriated.

Mr. Siddaramaiah sought the resignation of Mr. Nagendra. It is a fact that the Enforcement Directorate arrested Mr. Nagendra, who has been named accused No. 1 in the case where it was found that funds were diverted for the Ballari Lok Sabha elections and the Andhra Pradesh Assembly elections.

When Mr. Nagendra came to the house of Mr. Siddaramaiah on Wednesday and conducted himself in a way that appeared to be like a victory celebration, it indicated complicity of Mr. Siddaramaiah in the scam, he claimed.

Mr. Kumar questioned the propriety of Mr. Siddaramaiah meeting Mr. Nagendra, who is accused of misappropriating funds related to Valamiki community, on the eve of Maharshi Valmiki Jayanthi. As this comes on the day Assembly elections are announced for Maharashtra and Jharkhand, it raises suspicion that Mr. Siddaramaiah discussed with Mr. Nagendra on the use of funds of other State departments for Congress campaign in the two States, he claimed.

While addressing presspersons in Mangaluru on Thursday, Capt. Brijesh Chowta, State BJP secretary and Dakshina Kannada MP, said sadly the State celebrated Valmiki Jayanthi at a time when the Congress government was mired in corruption. Mr. Siddaramaiah has failed to uphold the stature of his constitutional post.

For allowing victory celebration at his house and for alleged irregularities in the allotment of MUDA sites, Mr. Siddaramaiah should resign from the Chief Minister’s post at least now. The State BJP will continue its fight till action is taken in all cases involving Mr. Siddaramaiah and other State Congress leaders, Capt. Chowta said.