BJP Leaders Detained Protesting Karnataka CM Over Alleged Corruption Scam

BJP leaders, including the Karnataka unit President B Y Vijayendra, were detained on Thursday after attempting to lay siege to 'Vidhana Soudha', demanding the resignation of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah amidst allegations of a scam in the Karnataka Maharshi Valmiki Scheduled Tribes Development Corporation Ltd.

The detained BJP legislators, holding placards and banners, raised slogans against the Congress government, accusing it of large-scale corruption. Allegations emerged of the ''anti-Dalit and anti-tribal'' stance of the Congress following the scam. ''The Chief Minister has lost the moral right to continue. Our protest will persist until his resignation,'' Vijayendra asserted as he was taken into preventive custody near 'Vidhana Soudha', where the monsoon session was in progress.

Vijayendra also cited the Enforcement Directorate's findings from Wednesday, revealing that approximately Rs 90 crore was diverted from the state-run Corporation to 18 fake accounts in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. ''Substantial funds were used to procure liquor before the general elections, and high-end vehicles, including a Lamborghini, were bought with the scam's proceeds,'' stated the ED.

Last week, the ED arrested former Minister B Nagendra linked to the scam. During searches at Nagendra's and Corporation Chairperson Basanagouda Daddal's premises, incriminating documents were discovered connecting them to the diverted funds. The ED further implicated Nagendra's close associates in the fund diversion and cash management during recent elections.

(With inputs from agencies.)