Union Minister of State Shobha Karandlaje speaking to media persons in Mysuru on Friday.
| Photo Credit: M.A. Sriram
Union Minister of State for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, Labour and Employment Shobha Karandlaje said here on Friday that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah was accused in two scams and hence he should resign and face investigations.
Ms. Karandlaje was in Mysuru to visit Chamudeshwari temple at Chamundi Hills as it was the last Friday of Ashada.
Speaking to media persons Ms. Karandlaje said that Mr. Siddaramaiah was accused in the MUDA site allotment case and the facts are before the public. But being the finance minister, he was also culpable in the Valmiki Development Corporation scam, and hence the Chief Minister of Karnataka is accused in two cases and should resign.
She said in the Valmiki scam Mr.Siddaramaiah himself has admitted to the misuse of funds to the tune of โน87 crore in the Assembly. โThe then Minister for Scheduled Tribes Welfare, Youth Empowerment and Sports B. Nagendra who resigned, is only a small fry where as Siddaramaiah is the shark,โ said Ms. Shobha Karandlaje.
โIf it is true that money from Valmiki Development Corporation has been diverted for elections in Telangana then that is something a minister cannot do on his own. ย Mr.Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar are responsible for it and it has been done at the behest of the party high command,โ she alleged. ย
With respect to the MUDA scam, she said that the 50:50 scheme has been misused to claim sites for land surrendered with retrospective effect though the scheme was introduced around 2015. Besides, Mr. Siddaramaiah held constitutional posts at every stage of land acquisition, conversion, or site allotment and hence was involved, she added.
Ms. Karandlaje said if Mr. Siddaramaiah was innocent then the investigations would prove it and he could become the Chief Minister again as the Congress has a comfortable majority.
On fund allocation for Mekedatu issue the Union Minister said let the Congress get the issue resolved and then approach the Centre for funds.
