Karnataka BJP protests alleged Valmiki scam in Vidhan Soudha, Congress hits back say no scam

Bengaluru: Days after the arrest of Karnataka Minister B Nagendra by the ED in the alleged Karnataka Maharishi Valmiki Corporation Board scam the opposition BJP has raised the tempo with a protest against the state government. On Monday state BJP leaders staged a protest march to the Vidhana Soudha alleging deep-rooted corruption.
The scam pertains to the alleged illegal transfer of funds from the Maharshi Valmiki ST Corporation, which is charged with implementing welfare programmes for scheduled tribe members.
As the BJP MLAs and leaders started their protest march they were blocked from entering the Vidhana Soudha.
"They (the Congress) have looted Maharishi Valmiki Scheduled Tribes Development Corporation. Congress has used this money for election purposes. It is our duty to serve justice to the Dalits. They have looted the money of Dalits, " said senior BJP leader CT Ravi.
"We cannot stay silent anymore. The prices of milk, petrol and everything else have increased. What is left after increasing these prices? Nothing. We are protesting against this and will make sure that everyone gets justice," he further said.
Leader of opposition R Ashoka who was at the forefront of the protests on Monday said, "It is a big scam of 180 crores in the state. This government will hike the price of everything as they don't have money. Already, we are witnessing a hike in milk and fuel prices. They don't care about the common people. Karnataka Congress is the ATM for the Delhi Congress. "
Karnataka Tribal Affairs & Sports Minister B Nagendra is currently in judicial custody till July 18 after the ED arrested him in connection with the alleged scam. The arrest came after the agency raided locations allegedly linked to Nagendra and Corporation MD Basanagouda Daddal. On July 13 the Karnataka court sent B Nagendra to Judicial Custody till July 18.
Basanagouda Daddal who attended Monday's assembly session claimed that he had not received any notice from the ED and was cooperating with the investigation.
"I am going to the Assembly session. I will speak after it. I have not run away anywhere. My mobile is on and I haven't switched off purposely. I will cooperate with all investigations. I have not received the ED notice yet," Daddal said.
Senior Congress leaders however turned the tables on the BJP with Deputy CM DK Shivakumar saying that it all the scams had been created by the BJP during its tenure.
"There is no scam. All scams have been created by the BJP and their tenure. BJP is the father of scams. Now we are trying to clean up everything and they are not able to digest it as their names will come out," he said.
Karnataka minister Priyank Kharge said that the state government had constituted an SIT to look into the allegations and the BJP should raise its objection in the house.
"SIT has been formed, let them come up with the report, what are they (BJP) so concerned about? Recently it has also come to light that the previous BJP minister is the one who instigated all this. The CM and the minister have clearly said that the officials have mishandled these accounts... What is BJP's problem, I don't know. We have also formed a single judge bench for the MUDA issue, so whatever concern BJP has, it should raise it in the assembly with documents," he said.
The alleged corruption case of Maharishi Valmiki Scheduled Tribes Development Corporation came to light after an official of the corporation died by suicide and left a note containing an allegation of multi-crore corruption in the corporation.