Bommai govt dogged by corruption cases in Karnataka election year
The recovery of around Rs 6 crore in cash from the house of arrested Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA Madal Virupakshappa’s son, Prashanth in Karnataka, has brought Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai back under the spotlight of corruption charges. The Opposition Congress in the state has left no stones unturned to attack the ruling BJP government in Karnataka, which is set to hold assembly elections soon.
The development is seen as another setback for the ruling BJP in Karnataka, especially since it comes at a time when the Opposition has been consistently raising the issue of alleged commissions and kickbacks being paid in order to win government contracts.
The Congress has demanded the resignations of CM Bommai and state BJP chief Nalinkumar Kateel. Several party leaders, including former CM Siddaramaiah, have said that the recovery of Rs 6 crore from Prasthanth prove their stand that the Bommai government is corrupt.
Meanwhile, CM Bommai has said that his government will not ‘protect’ anybody and will take action against the MLA and his son if they are found guilty.
As CM Bommai battles a fresh set of corruption allegations, here’s a look at all such charges raised in the last year:
March 3, 2023: The son of BJP MLA Madal Virupakshappa was arrested by the Karnataka government’s anti-corruption watchdog, Lokayukta, for accepting a bribe of Rs 40 lakh. A search at the MLA’s residence yielded Rs 6 crore in cash.
Prashanth Madal, son of the BJP MLA, was caught red-handed receiving the bribe on March 2. Following his arrest, Lokayukta officials conducted searches at his residence and offices, discovering Rs 1.7 crore in Madal’s office. The anti-corruption watchdog may also summon Madal’s father, the BJP MLA, for questioning.
March 1, 2023: Senior Congress legislator Priyank Kharge accused the Basavaraj Bommai-led Karnataka government of facilitating a scam in molasses export. Kharge stated that KN Resources, a Mumbai-based private company, had requested permission to export 200,000 tonnes of molasses without the necessary documentation.
However, the government granted the M2 license in just two months, even though distillers protested that exporting molasses would affect the government’s income. Kharge claimed that the BJP government had set a target of Rs 39,000 crore tax from excise in the state budget but was creating an artificial molasses shortage. Additionally, KN Resources had not paid GST for 36 months but still received permission to export molasses.
January 16, 2023: The head of the Karnataka State Contractors’ Association, Manjunath, claimed at a press conference that the association had documents, including audio clips and WhatsApp messages, proving that several ministers and legislators were demanding bribes.
He specifically accused Chitradurga BJP MLA GH Thippareddy of corruption and released an audio clip of their conversation. On the same day, Manjunath alleged that he had paid a bribe of Rs 90 lakh to BJP MLA Tippa Reddy from 2019-2022 for various construction and development projects in the state.
August 27, 2022: Two associations representing over 13,000 schools in Karnataka wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, accusing the Basavaraj Bommai-led BJP government of corruption. The Associated Managements Of Primary And Secondary Schools and the Registered Unaided Private Schools Management Association urged PM Modi to investigate alleged bribes being demanded by the state education department for recognition certificates.
August 24, 2022: The Karnataka Contractors’ Association announced that they would be writing another letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi regarding the 40 per cent commission charge. The association claimed that Ministers, elected representatives, and others were demanding up to 30 per cent of the tender amount for approving a contract and 5-6% towards the release of ‘Letter of Credit’ against pending bills. The association had previously written to the Prime Minister in July 2021 regarding these allegations.
April 19, 2022: Lingayat seer Dingaleshwara Swamiji of the Balehosur Mutt accused officials of the Karnataka government of demanding a 30 per cent commission from mutts to release funds. He made the statement during the Sankalpa Yatra programme in Bagalkot district. The seer’s allegations prompted Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai to promise an investigation.
(With inputs from Prashant Kumar Tiwari.)
