'You are concealing it, sir': FM Sitharaman lashes out at Siddaramaiah over Valmiki scam

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Sunday slammed Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, asking him whether it was ‘Nyay’ (justice) to siphon off money belonging to the tribal Valmiki community. She targeted the chief minister over Rs 187 crore scam in the Karnataka Maharshi Valmiki Scheduled Tribe Corporation including the illegal transfer of Rs 88 crore. 

The finance minister accused Siddaramaiah of concealing facts and trying to pass the blame on to the central government because bank officials of a nationalised bank were involved. 

On Siddaramaiah's charge that the union finance minister should be held accountable because banks were involved, Sitharaman said, "He can say that because he is used to talking like this...That's so irresponsive. You have your minister resigned. You have your people saying that the money has been siphoned into private accounts." 

The finance minister said that action has already been taken as a first step against the conniving bank officials and further action will be taken against them. "No protection will be offered to them for sure." She, however, sought to know, “A minister had to resign under whose oversight? Attempt to deny, attempt to shift blame, or to say that no scandal has taken place. It’s SC/ST money. Whose money was taken away – Valmiki community’s. Is there no sense of outrage?" 

Sitharaman said the Congress talks about 'Nyay' (justice) during the election campaign. "Is this Nyay for the SC/ST communities?" she asked. During the Lok Sabha election, the Congress had the slogan 'Ab Hoga Nyay' to do justice for downtrodden communities and to enact policies for their upliftment. 

The finance minister asked Siddaramaiah how the minister involved in the scam and the chief minister who holds finance portfolio did not stop the bank from illegally transferring money. "You denied the whole thing, your minister did not even resign. And regarding the money that has gone into the private accounts, you go to the assembly to say it's not Rs 180 crore or Rs 140 crore, it's only some Rs 80 crore. You are concealing it, sir. This is the outrageous thing that is happening particularly with the SC/ST money," the FM said. 

Rs 187.33 crore of the Valmiki Corporation kept in different accounts, including Rs 40 crore in the government treasury, is said to have been diverted towards the Union Bank of India’s MG Road branch in the scam. Of the Rs 187.33 crore, Rs 88.63 crore was illegally transferred to at least 217 bank accounts in Telangana including that of 18 firms. 

Former Karnataka minister B Nagendra, who was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate, is in judicial custody in connection with the case. The scam came to light after the Accounts Superintendent of Valmiki Corporation Chandrasekharan P died by suicide. In his suicide note, he explained in detail how the money was transferred and what role the corporation and the bank officials had played in the scam. 

(With inputs from PTI)