Hyderabad: BRS working president and former Minister KT Rama Rao suspected the role of Telangana Congress leaders in the controversial Valmiki Corporation scam in Karnataka. He demanded that Congress Lok Sabha leader Rahul Gandhi address the alleged corruption within his party, which has caused ripples across the country.
The Valmiki Corporation scam, which involves the illegal diversion of approximately Rs 180 crore from government accounts, has drawn widespread attention. Speaking on the BRS party’s YouTube channel, Rama Rao criticised the Congress leadership for attempting to suppress details of the Valmiki Corporation scam, which has already embroiled several Karnataka Congress leaders. He warned that the scandal was beginning to cast its shadow on Telangana Congress leaders as well.
“Karnataka Chief Minister Siddharamaiah himself admitted to the scam in the Assembly. People must be informed to whose bank accounts did the money was transferred,” he demanded.
The BRS working president said around Rs 45 crore from the scam was transferred to nine bank accounts in Hyderabad, raising questions about the connections between the recipients and the Congress party. He said the Superintendent of Accounts at the Valmiki Corporation committed suicide following the exposure of the scandal, raising more suspicions.
“About Rs 4.5 crore was reportedly transferred to a company named V6 Business, whose true ownership remains unclear. This money could have been used by the Congress party during the recent Lok Sabha polls. The Congress leadership must respond and answer,” he demanded.
Rama Rao also asked why the Enforcement Directorate (ED), Special Investigation Team (SIT), and Crime Investigation Department (CID) remained silent despite the substantial evidence linking Telangana Congress leaders to the scam. He said certain Congress leaders, including Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy, were manipulating the media to prevent the scandal from being fully exposed, even after the investigation agencies conducted raids.
“During the Lok Sabha elections, large amounts were withdrawn from some bars and jewellery shops in Telangana. Who owns these shops and what are their connections to the Congress? We are expecting complete information to be exposed soon,” he said.
Rama Rao sought to know why Karnataka Minister Satish Jarkiholi remarked that removal of Siddharamaiah could topple of Congress government in Telangana. He asked why Rahul Gandhi did not speak out about the Valmiki Corporation scam till date, despite him speaking about corruption in Parliament. He asked whether the silence was meant to protect the Congress leaders involved in corruption, urging him to bring out the “big fish” in the scandal.