Bengaluru, 16 July

The alleged financial irregularities in a State-run corporation continued to create uproar in the Legislative Assembly for the second consecutive day on Tuesday, with Leader of Opposition R Ashoka demanding Chief Minister Siddaramaiah's resignation.

The BJP leader said he held Congress accountable for the "loot" at the Corporation. He also said the government was responsible for the suicide of the corporation's official -- which led to the alleged scam being exposed -- and questioned the fairness of the state government constituted Special Investigation Team's (SIT) probe into it.

"The ST (Schedule Tribe) community has not got benefits due to them, as Rs 187 crore that was kept for the welfare of the community was plundered and taken to Telangana. Who will give (back) that money?

"Siddaramaiah has to give the amount to ST community beneficiaries who were waiting for it. The money that was kept for the welfare of the ST community has gone for the enjoyment of some people," Ashoka said.

He said the money kept for the welfare of ST community was "looted" through PhonePe, Google Pay, and RTGS. “There should be a thorough probe by the CBI and ED into this financial irregularity.

"As such, a huge scam wouldn't have happened without coming to the notice of the Finance Department, he said, "and as the Chief Minister holds the finance portfolio, he should resign assuming moral responsibility." He called the government the offender in the case.

Ashoka also hit out at government over the SIT probe, questioning why, despite 40 days since the scam to light, the investigation team had not issued notice to Nagendra and ruling Congress MLA Basanagouda Daddal, who is the chairman of the corporation.

He compared it with the "quickness" shown by another SIT of the state police which is probing into allegations of sexual abuse against former JD(S) MP Prajwal Revanna, in interrogating his father and MLA HD Revanna, mother Bhavani Revanna, and BJP MLA Pritham Gowda in a linked case. -PTI