Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah slams BJP, asks why Centre didn’t implement legislation to increase allocation for SC/ST

Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], July 18 (ANI): Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah hit out at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), on Thursday and asked why the party didn’t implement any legislation to increase the budgetary allocation for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes when they were in power.

Siddaramaiah replied to the debate in the House under Rule 69 on the alleged misuse of grants by Valmiki Development Corporation.

The alleged corruption case of the Maharshi Valmiki Scheduled Tribes Development Corporation pertains to the “illegal transfer” of funds from the Maharshi Valmiki ST Corporation, which is charged with implementing welfare programmes for scheduled tribe members.

“My reply to the debate in the House under Rule 69 on the misuse of grants by Valmiki Development Corporation. R. Ashok, Vijayendra have asked for my resignation in Valmiki Corporation case. Former Home Minister Araga Gyanendra said to withdraw the Special Investigation Team. Did you say this about SIT even when you were Home Minister? I want to ask them that,” the Chief Minister posted on X.

“Chandrasekhar committed suicide on May 26. He belongs to the Bovi community of Tamil Nadu. The opposition party has spoken about Dalit and Dalit a thousand times,” he added.

The Karnataka CM highlighted that the Scheduled Castes and Classes constitute 24.1 per cent of the population and equality can only be achieved after their upliftment.

“There is a reference to Scheduled Castes/Classes in the Constitution. Together they constitute 24.1% of the population. Only their development will fulfill the wish of an equal society. Economic and social power comes to these communities. As long as there is inequality, there can be no equality. Even after 70 years of constitution, equality has not been achieved. We all have a responsibility to fix this,” he said.

“Thus many development corporations including Valmiki, Bovi, Adijambhav, Minority Development Corporation have been started. The objective of all these corporations is to make their respective communities economically stronger,” Siddaramaiah added.

The Chief Minister further pointed out that in 2013, his government implemented the Scheduled Caste Sub Plan (SCSP) and Tribal Sub Plan (TSP), which made it mandatory that 24.1 per cent of the budget should be earmarked for the development of Scheduled Castes/Classes.

“In December 2013, SCSP / TSP Act was implemented by our government. I made it mandatory that 24.1% of the budget should be earmarked for the development of this community. The opposition is just shedding crocodile tears,” he wrote on X.

“In his speech in the Constituent Assembly on November 25, 1949, he said in a historic speech, “Constitution coming into force on January 26, 1950. We are all entering into a society of contradictions. We accepted democracy. He had warned that the people themselves will destroy the edifice of democracy if it is not eliminated as there is still economic and social inequality here,” he added.

The Valmiki case came to light after an official of the corporation died by suicide and left a note containing an allegation of multi-crore corruption in the corporation.

The official was identified as Chandrasekaran (45), a resident of the Kenchappa colony in Vinobanagar. He was a superintendent with the MVDC and was posted at its Bengaluru office.

In a six-page suicide note recovered by police, Chandrasekaran mentioned the names of three officials and alleged corruption worth crores in the corporation, demanding action against the named officials.

Hitting out at the BJP further, Siddaramaiah said that if the Centre had “genuine concern” for the Scheduled Communities, then why was the SCSP/TSP Act not implemented by them.

“We are the ones who brought the SCSP/TSP Act in the whole country. If there was genuine concern for the Scheduled Communities then why has this Act not been implemented by the central @BJP4India government or the states where they are in power? Karnataka is the only country in the country that has enacted such an effective act for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes communities. We are the only ones who have enforced reservation for SC/ST communities even in leases. Why BJP has not implemented such a thing till now?” he said.

“Special loan privilege for SC/ST enterprises/enterprises, We are the ones who facilitated these communities in the matter of KIADB land. If we were against SC/ST community would we have implemented all this? As long as Congress exists, as long as I exist, we are committed to social justice. There is no need to lecture on social justice by the opposition,” Siddaramaiah added.

Earlier, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) arrested Nagendra in connection with the alleged multi-crore scam. Soon after the arrest, he was produced before the court in Bengaluru. A Bengaluru Court sent him to judicial custody until July 18.

The former Karnataka minister, however, has dismissed all the allegations against him and said that he would “come out clean” after the investigation.

Earlier on Wednesday, the Directorate of Enforcement (ED) detained former Karnataka Minister B Nagendra’s wife, Manjula.

On June 6, Karnataka Minister B Nagendra said that he has voluntarily decided to resign as an investigation is going on over the allegations of illegal money transfer from Karnataka Maharshi Valmiki Scheduled Tribes Development Corporation Ltd.