Congress ministers accuse ED of harassing witnesses to name its top leaders in Valmiki scam

Bengaluru: The group of ministers led by Health and Family welfare minister, Dinesh Gundu Rao and Energy minister, K J George on Thursday alleged that Enforcement Directorate that is investigating into alleged multi-crore funds transfer scam of Karnataka Mahrishi Valmiki Scheduled Tribe Welfare Corporation (KMVSTWC) has come with a sole purpose of toppling the Congress government in the state and forcing all witnesses and accused in this case to name Congress top leaders too in order to bring disrepute to the government in the state.

Group of ministers including Revenue Minister, Krishna Byre Gowda, Rural Development and Panchyat Raj minister, Priyank Kharge and Labour welfare minister, Santhosh Lad asserted that the Congress would not succumb under any pressure and dared that they will soon hit the streets to save democracy condemning the harassment of ED and other central agencies.

“We will fight it out legally and politically against the ED’s harassments,” they announced in joint press conference held here.

Citing that 400 per cent increase in ED cases since Prime Minister Narendra Modi came to power in 2014, Gowda told reporters that the BJP knows two things either to carry out “Operation Kamala” which it did in 2019 in the state and now adopting another strategy of making ED and other central agencies to do its dirty work of toppling wherever Opposition parties have formed governments.

“The BJP has realized that they will not be able to topple the government in Karnataka through Operation Lotus, so, now they have started harassing and pressurizing all witnesses, officials and leaders who are being investigated in a case related to KMVSTWC. We will surely have proof regarding this which we will release at an opportune time,” he noted.

Responding to a question, Rao underlined that the witnesses are being harassed by ED to name Chief Minister, Siddarmaiah, Deputy Chief Minister, D K Shivakuamar and other top leaders from the party.

He mockingly said that the ED has been working hard ever since the PM Modi came to power in 2014 as its number of investigations have crossed 400 per cent in the last 10 years compared to UPA’s 10-year term. “But unfortunately, under UPA’s 10 year term – about 53 per cent cases investigated by ED were related to Opposition leaders, while remaining 47per cent investigations were against the Congress and its allies, while the 95 per cent of ED investigations in last 10 years are against the Opposition and just measly 5 per cent investigations are against the ruling BJP and its allies,” Gowda claimed.

Listing out scams taken place during the previous BJP government, Kharge sought to know from the BJP and ED that why both were silent did nothing when similar scams took place in Tanda Development Corporations, Bhovi Development Corporation, and Ambedkar Development Corporation between 2021-23. “Our government is honest enough to investigate into KMVSTWC scam by forming Special Invesitgation Team and coenrended minister was even asked to resign,” he said and added that the BJP did not even care about any scam during its tenure and now preaching us the moral lessons.