JOIN USBJP leaders hoarding rice illegally: DK Shivakumar
Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president DK Shivakumar on Friday claimed that “BJP leaders, including a minister” were involved in the illegal hoarding of rice at a godown near the Karnataka-Tamil Nadu border.
Releasing documents and videos of the “scam”, Shivakumar said 1,879 quintals of rice that came from Haryana, which was meant to be distributed to the poor and needy, was stopped near Sarjapura close to the Tamil Nadu border and stored at a godown.
“BJP workers and an active BJP leader wanted to sell it. It was to be repackaged and distributed in the name of BJP leaders,” Shivakumar alleged.
Apparently, a Congress team comprising Anekal MLA B Shivanna and others, tracked this for a week before the local tahsildar, the police and officials from the Food & Civil Supplies department were roped in. “The tahsildar has said that no permission was given to store this rice and that he had no idea how or where it came from,” Shivakumar said, adding that the rice stock was seized.
“A minister threatened the tahsildar against taking action,” Shivakumar said, without naming the minister. “In every taluk and district, thousands of bags of rice are being separated so that they can be repacked and distributed in the name of one political party and to also be sold in the black market,” he said. “Our own party workers have bought the rice in black for Rs 35-40 per kg.”
Shivakumar appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa to take action. “Do you want food meant for the labourers and migrants to be sold in the market? If the CM is truly transparent, whoever is involved - minister, MLA, party worker or officer - should face action,” he said, seeking “a thorough inquiry and immediate arrests.”
'Banks are looting'
Shivakumar urged the government to convene a meeting with nationalized banks. "They're looting the common man and small industrialists. They're collecting money three months in advance. For example, I transferred Rs 5 lakh through a trust towards salaries that I had to pay. But the bank immediately swapped the account for their interest (payment)," he said.