Holding Tribal Welfare Minister B. Nagendra responsible for the multi-crore scam in Maharshi Valmiki Scheduled Tribes Development Corporation, the former Minister and BJP leader B. Sriramulu has demanded the resignation of the Minister.
Addressing a press conference at his residence on the outskirts of Ballari on Sunday, the former Minister said that an innocent officer P. Chandrashekaran had to end his life due to the widespread financial irregularities in the State-owned corporation.
“The previous BJP government headed by the then Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai established a separate department for Scheduled Tribes on the lines of one under the Union government. The purpose of establishing the dedicated department is to focus on the development of Scheduled Tribes,” he said.
“However, the Congress government has defeated the very purpose by turning the department into a space for looting money meant for the community. The corruption in the corporation has taken the life of Accounts Superintendent P. Chandrashekharan. In actuality, it is not a suicide but a murder,” he said.
“None says a lie when dying. His dying declaration is the living evidence of widespread corruption in the corporation,” Mr. Sriramulu said.
Expressing discontent over how the government has handled the case, Mr. Sriramulu demanded that it hand over the case to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for a thorough investigation.
“For the first time in history, public money in the corporation has been misappropriated. The government has formed a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe into the case. I don’t think the SIT will be impartial in its investigation. I demand that the government hand over the case to the CBI,” he said.
“Tribal Welfare Minister B. Nagendra must resign owning moral responsibility as the head of the department. If he continues as Minister, he may influence the investigating officers. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah should sack him from his Council of Ministers, if he doesn’t resign. Otherwise, the BJP will launch a State-wide agitation,” he said.
Legislator M.Y. Sathish, the former MLA G. Somashekhar Reddy, BJP Farmers Wing State vice-president Gurulinganagouda, party leader K.A. Ramalingappa, Ibrahim Babu, Govindarajulu, Srinivas Motkar, Hanumantha and others were present.
Published - June 02, 2024 08:26 pm IST
