BJP corners Karnataka Excise Minister over 'Rs 6K crore graft', seeks his scalp

Bengaluru: Members of the Opposition BJP, on Tuesday, demanded the resignation of Excise Minister R B Thimmapur in the Legislative Council, over alleged corruption in his department. 

The House witnessed heated debate when BJP members demanded the resignation of the minister and demanded reply from Chief Minister Siddaramaiah. 

The Opposition members said that the needle of suspicion would point to the chief minister, if Thimmapur
wasn’t dropped from the Cabinet. 

“For past two and a half years, widespread corruption has taken place in excise department. To issue one licence, bribes ranging from Rs 80 lakh to Rs 1.50 crore are demanded. For a CL-7 licence approval, out of Rs 80 lakh bribe, first instalment of Rs 25 lakh was being received when excise commissioner, along with two others, was caught red-handed by Lokayukta officials. No further evidence is needed.
Without blessings of the minister, such dealings cannot happen. Audio recordings related to minister’s son are circulating. Taking moral responsibility, Thimmappur should resign,” said leader of the Opposition Chalavadi Narayanaswamy.  

BJP member N Ravikumar quoted a statement of Guruswamy, Karnataka Wine Merchants’ Association (from the CM’s constituency), on the massive corruption to the tune of Rs 6,000 crore in the department. 

“Even though five or six such cases have been reported, no action has been taken. Even when caught red-handed, no action is taken—what does this mean? The share of who
got how much must be revealed. Silence of the CM on this matter has raised suspicion,” he said.  

Ravikumar demanded judicial inquiry into the matter. “Let the minister step down from office and let the government order judicial inquiry. If the inquiry proves no corruption, he can return as minister,” he said. 

Members of the ruling party, including ministers Chaluvaryaswamy, Santosh Lad and N S Boseraju, strongly objected to Siddaramaiah’s name being dragged. 

“If it is a Rs 6,000 crore scam, where is the Enforcement Directorate? What is it doing?,” Lad said.

BJP demands thorough probe into excise dept ‘scam’

The Opposition BJP on Tuesday demanded a thorough probe into a scam it claimed was worth Rs 6000 crore in the excise department. The BJP and the JD(S) lawmakers staged a protest at the Mahatma Gandhi statue in the Vidhana Soudha against the Congress government especially Excise Minister R B Thimmapur.

“The wine merchants association has pegged the scam at Rs 6000 crore. How much of this goes to CM Siddaramaiah his deputy DK Shivakumar Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge?” Leader of the Opposition Chalavadi Narayanaswamy said. BJP state president B Y Vijayendra demanded a “proper investigation” either by a sitting high court judge or the CBI.

On Tuesday morning the BJP members trooped into the well of the Legislative Assembly reiterating their demand for a discussion on irregularities in the excise department. “The Wine Merchants’ Association is planning to meet Rahul Gandhi the President and the Prime Minister. The state is being put to shame” Leader of the Opposition R Ashoka said. Thimmapur rejected the allegations.

“There’s is no evidence. Nothing. The Opposition is unnecessarily trying to defame me and bring a bad name to the government. If they have evidence let them show it” he said. Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar said the allegations were “politically motivated.” Speaking to reporters Shivakumar said: “These (allegations) are bogus. What they’re claiming is politically motivated. They are trying to defame a Dalit minister.”