|
|
by IANS |
Bengaluru, Jan 27 (IANS) The BJP in Karnataka staged a protest in front of the Mahatma Gandhi statue in Vidhan Soudha on Tuesday, demanding the resignation of Excise Minister R.B. Thimmapur over an alleged excise scam amounting to Rs 2,500 crore.
The party also alleged that these huge funds were being collected to finance the Congress party’s election campaigns in Kerala, Assam, and Tamil Nadu.
The protest was led by the Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly, R. Ashoka, and the BJP State President and MLA B.Y. Vijayendra. BJP MLAs and MLCs held placards demanding the resignation of Minister Thimmapur and raised slogans against the Congress-led government. The placards stated that the protest would continue until the Minister resigned.
Addressing the protest, R. Ashoka said, “We are staging a protest condemning the loot in the Excise Department. A fixed monthly bribe amount has been imposed on all bars and wine stores. They speak about Mahatma Gandhi and claim to be his followers. Across the state, 1,500 to 2,000 new liquor shop licences have been issued. Is this the respect they are showing to Mahatma Gandhi?”
“For every licence, they are caught red-handed while accepting bribes. For each licence, they are collecting between Rs 2 crore and Rs 2.5 crore. The liquor vendors’ association is complaining about this to the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, the Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and the President of India,” he said.
“No action has been taken even after complaints were submitted to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah. For the past six months, they have been meeting the Chief Minister, but he has not taken any action because he is also getting a share in the corruption. In the last year, three videos have surfaced showing discussions about bribe amounts and cuts for ministers and commissioners,” Ashoka alleged.
“This entire episode resembles a cinema. The Chief Minister is turning a blind eye to it, which shows that he, too, is involved. Supporters of the Excise Minister have privately stated that he is in charge of only three districts, while other districts are managed by others,” he claimed.
He further said that during the tenure of former Chief Minister Ramakrishna Hegde, the government had fallen due to a liquor scam. “There is a conspiracy to loot Rs 2,500 crore from Karnataka through corruption and divert it to Assam, Tamil Nadu and Kerala. The plan is ready and is already being implemented. In this backdrop, the Chief Minister is deliberately neglecting the issue,” Ashoka alleged.
“I have already raised this issue during the Assembly session. We are protesting in front of the Mahatma Gandhi statue at Vidhana Soudha. This government is selling liquor at people’s doorsteps in villages. Massive corruption is taking place, and the minister must resign. Otherwise, the protest will be intensified against the Chief Minister,” he warned.
“We will demand the resignation of the Chief Minister in the next phase,” Ashoka said.
Criticising the Congress for organising a protest march to the Governor’s residence, he said, “They have no sense of responsibility. Maintaining law and order is their duty. If the government itself comes onto the streets to protest, it shows how low it can stoop. This protest has been organised to divert public attention. The entire government is mired in corruption and infighting, and to distract from this, they are staging such protests. The Assembly session itself is being used to divert attention from internal infighting.”
Latest News