Daijiworld Media Network – Mangaluru (VP)

Mangaluru, Aug 5: Vedavyas Kamath, MLA for Mangaluru South constituency, criticized the state Congress government for its involvement in various corruption scandals, including the Valmiki scam, MUDA scam, SCP-TSP Fund misuse, and the rice scam. He remarked, "The Congress party seems to have corruption ingrained in their DNA, and even their high command supports them in wrongdoing. The Smart City funds allocated to Dakshina Kannada by Prime Minister Narendra Modi are being used for the construction of the DC office, which reflects the Congress party’s approach."

Addressing the media at Atal Seva Kendra, Mangaluru, on August 5, MLA Kamath stated, "There is rampant corruption under the current Congress government, which seems to have come into power to exploit public funds. Now, their focus has shifted to funds allocated for the Dalit community. Numerous scams are emerging under Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, including the Valmiki scam and MUDA scam. We urge for a swift closure of these cases and request an ED inquiry into all such scandals."

He added, "The Congress party has misused SCP-TSP funds for their guarantee schemes, indicating their lack of genuine concern for the SC/ST communities. When the MUDA issue surfaced, BJP state president Vijayendra, R Ashok, and union minister H D Kumaraswamy conducted a 'padayatra’, revealing the chief minister’s involvement. They inflated land rates, a practice dating back to his tenure as deputy chief minister. The Governor has also issued a notice to chief minister Siddaramaiah, who should resign immediately. The Congress government is also implicated in the Rice scam, where one department reports buying rice at Rs 29/kg while another reports paying Rs 34/kg, raising concerns about where the excess money is going. Corruption in food distribution by the state government is unacceptable."

Regarding the Wenlock hospital corruption, Kamath said, "I have consistently highlighted the corruption involving lacs of rupees. I submitted a letter to the health minister and request that officials arrest everyone involved. Whenever a scam is exposed, only lower-level officials are removed, ignoring who gave them instructions. Corruption pervades all departments under the Congress government. There is no law and order in Dakshina Kannada, with mobs entering homes to rob. While we are not against the police department, it seems the Congress government is obstructing their effective operation through frequent transfers. The PSI Parashuram ended his life due to pressure from an MLA, and his wife has claimed that they demanded money to cancel his transfer order. If police officers are not safe, citizens are left without recourse for justice. The state hoped for a change in the Congress State unit, but the Congress high command continues to support corrupt leaders."

When asked about Srinivas Poojary and Basavaraj Bommai’s involvement in the Valmiki scam, Kamath responded, "The Congress party has been in power for 15 months and came to power accusing the BJP of corruption, labelling us as a '40% government’. If they truly believe there is wrongdoing, they should investigate. The Congress party controls the investigative machinery, and Kota Srinivas Poojary is a reputable person. If the Congress believes he is guilty, they should hand the case over to the CBI."

Ravishankar Mijar, Nithin Kumar, Premananda Shetty, Poornima, Ramesh Hegde, and others were present.