Members of Karnataka Congress, including Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Home Minister G. Parameshwara, staged a protest against the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in front of the Gandhi Statue outside Vidhan Sabha. Congress accused ED of ‘Arbitrary actions’ in Valmiki Corporation scam.
Congress alleged that the ED officials are pressuring the accused to name the Chief Minister, resigned Minister Narendra, and the Finance Department. Party leaders also claimed that ED is exerting pressure on government officials to implicate the Chief Minister.
#WATCH | Karnataka Congress including Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and State Home Minister G Parameshwara hold protests at Gandhi statue outside Vidhan Soudha against alleged arbitrary actions taken by ED officials. pic.twitter.com/Wm5IdBodwa
— ANI (@ANI) July 23, 2024
Deputy CM DK Shivakumar stated, “Today, all legislators, including ministers, are protesting against the ED for coercing the Assistant Director of the Department of Social Welfare to implicate the CM. The minister himself resigned to facilitate a fair investigation.”
“The SIT has recovered 50% of the funds and arrested many individuals. Now, the ED is involved and putting pressure on the Assistant Director of the Department of Social Welfare to implicate the CM. I have been targeted. The CBI is harassing people like me. An FIR has been filed, and the law will take its course. We do not wish to interfere with the investigation. We will also discuss this in the assembly,” he added.
Bangalore Police registers FIR against top Enforcement Directorate officers
Bangalore Police have registered an FIR against top ED officers based on a complaint by a social welfare department officer, accusing them of pressuring him to implicate the Chief Minister, Finance Department, and former minister B. Nagendra in the Maharishi Valmiki tribal fund scam in Karnataka.
