Bengaluru: BJP leaders trying to lay siege to Vidhana Soudha over Valmiki scam detained

Holding placards, banners and posters, the BJP workers raised slogans against the Congress government charging it with indulging in large-scale corruption.

Published on: Jul 18, 2024, 21:05:08 IST

PTIPosted by Yamini C S

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BJP leaders, including the party's Karnataka unit President B Y Vijayendra, were detained when they tried to lay siege to 'Vidhana Soudha' here on Thursday demanding the resignation of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah over the alleged scam in the Karnataka Maharshi Valmiki Scheduled Tribes Development Corporation Ltd.

Police personnel stop BJP workers protesting over the alleged scam in the Karnataka Maharshi Valmiki Scheduled Tribes Development Corporation. (PTI)

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Holding placards, banners and posters, the BJP legislators and workers raised slogans against the Congress government charging it with indulging in large-scale corruption. The party leaders alleged that the "anti-Dalit and anti-tribal face" of the Congress has been exposed after the scam came to light.

"The Chief Minister has lost the moral right to continue in office. Our protest will continue till he resigns," Vijayendra told reporters as he was taken into preventive custody near 'Vidhana Soudha', the seat of state legislature and secretariat, where the monsoon session was underway. He also referred to the statement of the Enforcement Directorate, which is probing the scam, on Wednesday that approximately ₹90 crore was diverted from the state-run Corporation to 18 fake accounts in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.

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"A substantial amount of funds were utilised to procure a significant quantity of liquor just prior to the general elections. Additionally, high-end vehicles, including a Lamborghini, were purchased using proceeds of the scam," the federal probe agency said.

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The ED arrested former Minister B Nagendra last week in connection with the scam. During search operations at the premises of Nagendra and Basanagouda Daddal, the Chairperson of the Corporation and Raichur Rural Congress MLA, the ED said it recovered incriminating documents linking them to the handling of diverted funds during the recent elections. Additionally, associates closely connected to Nagendra were implicated in the fund diversion and cash management, the agency said.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Yamini C S
Yamini CS is a Senior Content Producer at Hindustan Times with nearly six years of experience in digital journalism. She is part of the India News desk, where she works on a wide range of stories cutting across civic issues, city-based developments, politics, governance, public policy, breaking news, trending topics, and international affairs that have an impact on India. Her role involves tracking fast-moving developments, verifying information from official and on-ground sources, and presenting news in a clear, accessible format for a digital-first audience. A significant part of her work includes handling live blogs during major news events, such as elections, court verdicts, political developments, civic disruptions, protests, weather-related alerts, and unfolding national or international incidents. Through live coverage, she focuses on timely updates to help readers follow complex stories as they evolve. Before moving to the broader India News desk, Yamini was associated with the Bengaluru desk at Hindustan Times, where she extensively covered urban governance, infrastructure, traffic and transport issues, weather events, public grievances, and civic administration in the city. This experience strengthened her grounding in city reporting and sharpened her focus on citizen-centric journalism. She began her career as a correspondent with Reuters after completing a postgraduate diploma in journalism from the Indian Institute of Journalism and New Media. Her early training instilled a strong emphasis on accuracy, sourcing, and news ethics, which continue to shape her reporting style. Outside of work, Yamini enjoys reading across genres, listening to music, and spending time with her family, which help her maintain balance in a fast-paced newsroom environment.Read More

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