From 40% commission allegations to Bitcoin issue, Karnataka Congress ministers vow to probe previous BJP govt’s ‘scams’

Corruption was among the key planks on which the Congress fought the recent Assembly elections and secured a convincing victory. Following the same, demands have grown in recent days to institute inquiries into various scams raised by the party when it was in the Opposition. This includes the PSI scam, Bitcoin scam, allegations of 40 per cent corruption in government works and irregularities during the Covid-19 pandemic which rocked the BJP government in the last two years of its tenure.

While the government is yet to institute official inquiries into these charges, ministers have maintained that all irregularities will be probed, especially after being cornered by a section of BJP leaders in Karnataka that the Congress and some BJP leaders pursue “adjustment politics” and that due to a mutual understanding, none of the scams will be investigated.

Responding to the allegations, Home Minister G Parameshwara said the government will re-examine the Bitcoin scam in the coming days. “We are in the government now. We are looking at everything. I am re-examining the Bitcoin case. We are doing it,” he said.

The scam involves allegations regarding investigations into the crimes of notorious hacker Sriki. There are complaints that a nexus of politicians and policemen used the hacker’s skills to transfer the Bitcoins Sriki had stolen to their own accounts. The issue had rocked the state during late 2021 and early 2022.

According to Priyank Kharge, Minister for Rural Development & Panchayat Raj and IT/BT, discussions on investigating the BJP’s scams had come up in the Cabinet meeting held last week. He said the government was deciding which teams should probe the scams as cases such as the Bitcoin scam required the services of experienced cybersecurity personnel.

Many other ministers in the state Cabinet too echoed these sentiments, insisting all illegalities committed during the BJP rule would be exposed in the coming months.

Meanwhile, D Kempanna, president of Karnataka State Contractors’ Association, told The Indian Express that they were seeking action against the irregularities committed in the past. The Association had earlier written to the Prime Ministers’ Office alleging that commission to the tune of 40 per cent of the project cost was being demanded from contractors, embarrassing the BJP government under former chief minister Basavaraj Bommai.

Kempanna said Chief Minister Siddaramaiah was expected to “convene a meeting shortly to discuss their grievances. I am hoping that the meeting will be held in the next few days. We are seeking a public inquiry into our allegations,” he said.