Bengaluru, June 1 (UNI) The BJP on Saturday levelled serious accusations against Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, alleging that he is shielding corrupt officials involved in embezzlement of funds earmarked for the development of Scheduled Tribes and insinuated that he could be personally benefitting from the misappropriated funds.
The BJP alleged that the Congress-led state government had looted Rs 89.63 crore from the Karnataka Maharshi Valmiki Scheduled Tribes Development Corporation Limited.
This fiery allegation was made by the BJP on social media by attaching a letter written by Additional Chief Secretary, N Manjunatha Prasad, who requested RBL Bank to freeze funds and return Rs 89.63 crore.
The BJP criticised Siddaramaiah for not handing over the investigation to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) despite a complaint from the Union Bank of India. “Why hasn’t he handed over the case to the CBI despite Union Bank’s complaint?” the BJP questioned, suggesting that there may be a potential cover-up.
The party further insinuated that Siddaramaiah could be personally benefiting from the misappropriated funds. “What’s Siddaramaiah’s cut in this? What is he hiding?” they asked.
The fraud was detected on May 27, when it was found that forged cheques and RTGS requests were used to withdraw Rs 89.63 crore from the Corporation’s account. The funds were subsequently transferred to various accounts at RBL Bank.
Union Bank of India, upon realising the fraudulent transactions, had requested RBL Bank to freeze the funds and return them to the Corporation.
The incident has sparked a political storm, with the BJP demanding transparency and accountability from the Congress-led government. As investigations continue, the public awaits further developments on this high-stakes financial scandal.
