Published Jul 18, 2024 | 4:20 PM ⚊ Updated Jul 18, 2024 | 4:20 PM
Karnataka Minister for Revenue Krishna Byre Gowda.
Karnataka ministers on Thursday, 18 July, held a press conference before the legislature session at the Vidhana Soudha’s conference hall and alleged that the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and the CBI took over the investigation of the scam at the Maharshi Valmiki Scheduled Tribes Development Corporation to destabilise the “elected government” in the state.
“All of us have come to inform the people of Karnataka that central agencies have come to investigate the Valmiki scandal. It has come with the intention to destabilise the Karnataka government,” said Health and Family Welfare Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao.
Apart from him four other ministers — KJ George, Priyank Kharge, Krishna Byre Gowda and Santosh Lad — and the Chief Minister’s Legal Advisor AS Ponnanna attended the meeting.
Revenue Minister Byre Gowda said the ED was coercing the people to give statement that the chief minister and the deputy chief minister are involved in the scam to topple the state government.
“BJP leaders, weakened after losing public favour and power in the state, are trying to regain control through the back door using the ED. Such anti-democratic efforts by BJP, like operation lotus, are not new in the political history of the country. The BJP has been using ED, CBI, and IT as surgical strikes against Opposition parties. The Union government, with a desperate mindset, is now using the ED to destabilise the state government, as it did with operation lotus in 2009. But we will not bow down to these empty threats and unconstitutional actions,” he clarified.
Gudu Rao said ED was misusing its power and alleged that there were many instances of the BJP using the agency to target the Opposition parties.
“90 percent of the time ED is used to target Opposition. It is a political wing of a party and no need to substantiate this statement. Here in Karnataka, we took action, SIT was formed, the minister concerned voluntarily resigned and an investigation is going on. CBI also stepped into investigation suo motu. There have been so many cases in Karnataka earlier but we have not seen ED,” he added.
“Just like the nature of the Valmiki Corporation scam, there was a scam in the Dr Ambedkar Corporation as well. Why is there no investigation into that? During the Covid-19 crisis, while bodies were falling, BJP leaders were making money off the corpses. Why is there no investigation into that? Isn’t that a scam? BJP MLAs themselves are questioning party president Vijayendra’s frequent trips to Dubai; why is there no investigation into that?” he questioned.
He said over the last ten years under the Union government led by the BJP, the ED has become a political weapon.
“Wherever the BJP finds it difficult to win elections, it uses the ED and IT to attack the ruling parties. There are many examples of such nefarious actions by the BJP in Jharkhand, West Bengal, Delhi, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra, and the list is long,” said Byre Gowda.
“In Karnataka, ED and CBI got more interest in the Maharishi Valmiki Corporation alleged scam. Why were they quiet in Bhovi Corporation, Thanda Corporation, etc… All this looks like everything they are doing to target the Opposition. ED officials using all possible tactics to target people in the Opposition, we will fight it legally,” said Kharge.
“Even today, a former BJP MLC has been arrested, but no ED was there to be seen,” Gundu Rao said and alleged that the ED coerces people to give out statements and those statements were used to blackmail others.
“This blackmailing approach is the SOP of the ED,” he said.
He seconded the revenue minister’s sattement that the ED had come to topple an elected government.
“Do not destabilise or not do not disgrace democracy. Do not behave like a dictator. This is not an authoritarian state and people have given a message to the Modi government,” he said.
“Even in the Kejriwal case, the court has said it looks like the ED investigation looks arbitrary. We are making a direct allegation that ED has come here with the intention to destabilise the government and this is a political conspiracy,” Gundu Rao claimed.
“Be it any scam, we will conduct the investigation and take action without any interference. Now, B Nagendra (state minister) has resigned and helping the investigation. When we have formed SIT and an investigation is going on, CBI and ED came in to investigate the case. This is nothing but a political malpractice by the BJP and they are using agencies like fascists to spread lies…,” said George.
(Edited by Muhammed Fazil)
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