Kalaburagi, Nov 13 (IANS): Karnataka Congress on Tuesday ahead of bypolls has charged that Justice Michael D’Cunha’s Commission’s report on the COVID-19 scam has exposed the BJP’s misdeeds during the Covid pandemic in the state.
Addressing the joint press conference Minister Sharan Prakash Patil and Congress MLA and Chairman of the Kalyana Karnataka Region Development Board Ajay Singh, made the charges against the BJP leaders.
“During the Covid -19 pandemic, which shook the entire world, massive corruption took place under the then BJP government, as revealed in the Justice Cunha Committee report. We had raised concerns about this even when we were in the opposition, and now it has been confirmed,” said Sharan Prakash Patil, Minister of Medical Education, Skill Development, Entrepreneurship, and Livelihood.
He added that medical equipment and supplies were purchased at rates higher than the market price during Covid-19. The BJP profited off the crisis, and the Cunha Committee report suggests that Rs 49 crore should be recovered.
“There was large-scale corruption in the Medical Education and Health Departments, including in the procurement of PPE kits, CT scanners, and ventilators. Notices have already been sent to former department secretaries,” the minister added.
“There was over Rs 200 crore of fraud in RT-PCR testing at Kidwai Hospital. The report submitted by Justice Cunha is only an interim report, and even more instances of corruption will be exposed in the final report,” clarified Sharan Prakash Patil.
He said that the BJP leaders are accusing Justice Cunha of being an agent, with Union Minister Pralhad Joshi making such remarks.
“As a Union Minister, is it appropriate for him to make such statements? This is objectionable, and he should speak with the dignity of his position. A complaint has already been filed against him with the Governor,” Minister Sharan Prakash Patil stated.
“They have criticized our guarantee schemes, and even the Prime Minister himself claimed they could not be implemented. However, they are now copying our schemes. They are falsely claiming the state is bankrupt. If the state is bankrupt, they should show proof. The Prime Minister is misleading people,” he alleged.
He added that former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda stated that joining hands with former CM B.S. Yediyurappa is to overthrow the Congress government.
“But are we easy to defeat? The people of Karnataka have chosen us, giving us unprecedented support,” Patil stated.
He said that the BJP is known for buying legislators and is experienced in such “operations.”
“They have gained power through such underhanded tactics, but no one can topple this government. Deve Gowda is a senior leader, so I won’t say more about him. The Prime Minister claims that Rs 700 crore was collected by the Excise Department. The Prime Minister is lying. The BJP is making him lie,” he reiterated.