From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network

Bengaluru, Jun 7: Newly-elected JDS Mandya MP H D Kumaraswamy on Friday alleged that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar were fully aware of the irregularities in the State Valmiki Scheduled Tribes Development Corporation and mentioned that mere resignation of Scheduled Tribes Minister B Nagendra alone was not enough.

Speaking to media persons in Bengaluru, he charged that both the Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister were involved in the scam and pointed out that a minister alone cannot carry out such a massive scam.

Kumaraswamy said Rs 80 to 85 crore has been misappropriated and said the Minister must have resigned much earlier. But the Congress government had no courage to ask the minister to resign because they were involved in the scam.

The JDS leader said the scam happened in March and all the leaders in the government tried to hush it up. The issue came to light after the suicide by the officer in the Valmiki Corporation, who had left a death note alleging Rs 187 crore had been illegally transferred. But for the suicide and the death note, the scam would not have come to light, he said.

He said his brother-in-law Dr C N Manjunath won on BJP ticket from Bengaluru Rural constituency because of BJP-JDS alliance. “There was no irregularities in the victory,” he said and described the victory as the people’s victory.

Asked if he would become an Union Minister, Kumaraswamy said people’s problems must be solved and Karnataka needs justice on the irrigation issues.

“My becoming a minister is not important than the problems of people. I will ensure that there will not be any embarrassment to the Centre because of him and he would always abide by the coalition dharma. I will work with all MPs from the State to seek justice for Karnataka,” he declared.

To a question on the candidate for the Channapatna assembly constituency, which will become vacant following his election to the Lok Sabha from Mandya, he said: “There is still time for decide on the candidate. We have six months to take a decision by which time the Election Commission will have to hold the by-election.”

“I will sit with BJP MLC C P Yogeshwar, who had earlier represented the constituency, and we will take a decision,” he added.

Kumaraswamy expressed happiness at the victor of JDS candidates S L Bhojegowda and K Vivekananda in the Council polls from the Teachers constituency.

He said the ruling Congress party has been put in its place after its defeat in the Lok Sabha polls and failure to reach even double digit figure. Soon after the Lok Sabha polls, the Congress has lost in the Council polls. The decline of Congress has started within a year of assembly polls, he said.