Minister for IT & BT, Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Priyank Kharge has asked the former Union Minister and BJP MLA Basanagouda Patil Yatnal to make public documents related to his ₹40,000-crore scam charge in the interest of the people of the State.
Speaking to presspersons during a brief stopover in Hubballi on Wednesday, Mr. Kharge said that it is really a shame that the BJP government made money over the dead during the efforts to tackle COVID-19.
“The allegation has not been made by the Congress but the BJP’s own leader [Mr. Yatnal]. The 40% commission charge too came from the BJP’s own leaders. Now, Mr. Yatnal’s allegation indicates that they made money over the dead,” he said.
Mr. Kharge said that Mr. Yatnal has threatened to release documents related to his corruption charge. “Let him submit the documents to the Inquiry Commission headed by John Michael D’Cunha. A portion of the money made through corruption during COVID-19 could have gone to the Centre also. Let BJP State president B.Y. Vijayendra and Leader of Opposition in the Assembly R. Ashok give answers to the public,” he said.
On Mr. Vijayendra’s allegation about Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s son Yateendra being a shadow Chief Minister, Mr. Kharge sought to know who was the shadow Chief Minister during the tenure of B.S. Yediyurappa.
No answers yet
Mr. Kharge said that till date the RSS and the BJP leaders have not given any answer to his questions over Veer Savarkar, including him seeking pardon and drawing pension from the British.
“While the BJP took birth post-Independence, the RSS and the others have had no role in the freedom movement of the country. In fact, their leaders asked the youth to join the British Army when Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose was building his army against the British,” he said.
Mr. Kharge said that as the RSS and the BJP have had no role in the freedom movement of the country, they are trying to create fake history through WhatsApp and it is unfortunate that many youth are believing it.
Constitution-based
To another query, Mr. Kharge said that the Congress Government is ruling the State based on the Constitution. “We are not running our government based on the Bhagavad Gita, Bible or Quran. Our governance is based on the Constitution and the philosophy of Basava, Buddha and Ambedkar,” he said.
He pointed out that the previous government was run on Hindutva. Sitting on the Speaker’s chair, Vishweshwar Hegde Kageri declared himself a member of the RSS. However, the present government has Constitution as its base, he said.
