Ruckus In Karnataka Assembly Over Valmiki Corporation 'Scam', CM Vows To 'Ensure Looters Are Punished'

Accusing the government of "loot," the Opposition demanded the resignation of Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.

Siddaramaiah defended himself and his administration acknowledging that a scam had indeed occurred.

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The Karnataka Legislative Assembly witnessed a tumultuous session on Friday as Opposition parties BJP and JD(S) staged a protest against the government alleging financial irregularities in a state-run corporation. Accusing the government of "loot," the Opposition demanded the resignation of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.

Amid continuous sloganeering from the opposition, Siddaramaiah defended himself and his administration, acknowledging that a scam had indeed occurred. He assured the assembly that strict action would be taken against those involved in the irregularities.

In a counterattack, Siddaramaiah listed alleged scams that took place during the tenure of the opposition, particularly targeting the BJP. He vowed to probe these allegations and ensure that those responsible would be sent to jail. 

"Allegations are being made to tarnish the image of the Chief Minister and the government. It is not possible. They are alleging that ST community funds have been looted -- it is not Rs 187.33 crore (scam), that much amount has come to the Union Bank of India, in that Rs 89.63 crore has gone to Andhra (Pradesh) and Telangana, efforts are on to recover them," Siddaramaiah stated, according to a report on PTI.

He continued, "Whoever is the culprit, whoever the thieves are, whoever the looters are, we will ensure that they are punished. There is no question of protecting anyone. There is no compromise with corruption. Our fight against corruption will continue."

The Chief Minister also accused the opposition of trying to hide their own misdeeds by making allegations against his government. He claimed that the opposition's actions were causing disrespect to the Assembly and were detrimental to democracy and the Constitution. Opposition members, however, shouted slogans accusing the Chief Minister and his government of "theft," "loot," and "injustice to SC/ST," demanding Siddaramaiah's resignation, as per the report.