ST corporation fraud case: BJP steps up attack by holding State-wide protests

BJP intensifies attack on Congress government over financial irregularities, demands Chief Minister Siddaramaiah's resignation.

The principal Opposition BJP on Friday stepped up its attack on the Congress government over alleged financial irregularities in the Maharshi Valmiki ST Development Corporation by trying to lay siege to the offices of the Deputy Commissioners of all the districts in the State demanding that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah should quit owning up responsibility for the fraud.

Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Assembly R. Ashok, who led the party’s protest in Kolar, declared that the BJP would continue its protest till Mr. Siddaramaiah, who also holds the Finance portfolio, resigned. He said the party would seek this in the upcoming legislature session too.

Mr. Ashok argued that the Chief Minister had more responsibility towards the alleged financial fraud in the corporation than the Scheduled Tribe Welfare Minister B. Nagendra, who has already quit.

He alleged that the Congress government was now on a spree to mobilise resources as it had emptied its resources due to the implementation of the guarantee schemes. People were suffering due to an increase in the prices of petrol, diesel, and milk.

BJP State president B.Y. Vijayendra, who led the party’s protest in Chitradurga, alleged that money that had been siphoned off from the corporation had been used by the Congress for the Lok Sabha polls. Referring to transferring the money from the corporation to the account of a bar, he argued that it was impossible to do so without the notice of the Chief Minister, who also holds the Finance portfolio.

Responding to the Vishwa Vokkaligara Mahasamsthana Mutt seer Chandrashekhara Swami publicly requesting Mr. Siddaramaiah at a programme to give up his post to Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar, Mr. Ashok said the Chief Minister should have quit immediately if he had any self esteem.

Alleging that there was power tussle within the Congress government, Mr. Ashok, who addressed BJP workers in Kolar, said the Chief Minister had ensured the defeat of Mr. Shivakumar’s brother D.K. Suresh in the Bengaluru Rural Lok Sabha seat to clip his wings. “Mr. Shivakumar responded to this by getting the seer to ask Mr. Siddaramaiah to quit. Amid this, some Ministers are demanding the creation of additional posts of Deputy Chief Minister. Finally, the government would collapse due to the curse of ruling Congress MLAs,” he said.