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Minister RB Thimmapur, under fire over corruption allegations in the excise department, and Zameer Ahmed Khan, who finds himself in the midst of the Waqf row, may be eased out to make way for new faces
The Congress in Karnataka may have come to power with a campaign highlighting widespread corruption in the previous BJP government, but the ruling government is now mired in similar allegations. (PTI)
The Siddaramaiah government may crack the whip and take stern steps to address allegations of corruption and the performance of ministers, which may have been affecting the image of the chief minister’s governance. Internal sources suggest that heads could roll in the process to maintain a tight ship.
The Congress in Karnataka may have come to power with a campaign highlighting widespread corruption in the previous BJP government, but the ruling government is now mired in similar allegations.
The various controversies surrounding the Siddaramaiah government — ranging from the Valmiki Corporation scam, Waqf controversies, and the MUDA land allocation controversy, to the alleged “wine scam” where the federation of wine merchants accused excise department officials of corruption — highlight allegations of misgovernance, says opposition BJP.
Under fire over corruption allegations in the excise department, where the Federation of Karnataka Wine Merchants had accused officials of demanding hefty bribes for transfers and licence renewals, minister RB Thimmapur is likely to be eased out from the ministry for now, it is learnt.
“I have done no wrong. Let the truth come out. All transfers have been done as per government norms. Allegations can be made, but truth will prevail,” Thimmapur told News18.
It is also learnt that another minister who could face the axe or be eased into another ministry is Zameer Ahmed Khan, who finds himself in the midst of the Waqf row.
His recent racially insensitive remark against Union minister HD Kumaraswamy’s skin colour has also been taken very seriously by the government. Both Siddaramaiah and DK Shivakumar called the statement unacceptable.
“He should not have made such a comment,” the chief minister said in an earlier interview to News18.
While Shivakumar said the matter would be addressed and any action to be taken would not be discussed publicly, internal sources say a tough decision on the minister can be expected soon.
“It had a cascading effect on the by-elections, especially in Channapatna, and the Waqf issue impacted all three seats,” said an official who did not want to be named.
A government source, however, said in the upcoming cabinet reshuffle, Athani MLA Laxman Savadi, who shifted to the Congress from the BJP and had earlier been a deputy CM in the BJP government, will be accommodated.
Heggadadevankote MLA Anil Chikkamadhu is also likely to be included. Ministers K Venkatesh and D Sudhakar may also be dropped to accommodate new faces, said a source.
Thimmapur has been under fire after the Karnataka Wine Merchants’ Association made bribery allegations and called a state-wide strike, claiming that approximately 1,000 illegal licences were issued over the past year, with bribes reportedly reaching up to Rs 70 lakh per licence, potentially amounting to nearly Rs 700 crore in corruption.
The state-wide protest, scheduled for November 20, was called off after a meeting with chief minister Siddaramaiah.
While the wine merchants’ federation has requested the CM to take the excise portfolio under his finance ministry, they asked him to investigate the alleged demands for bribes in the department. They also sought Thimmapur’s immediate removal.
“We had a fruitful meeting with Siddaramaiah, who gave us a patient hearing on our demands and has also promised to take steps to smoothen the licensing process and bring in strong enforcement to curb the influx of cheaper liquor from other states. A committee of officials will review our concerns and submit a report after discussions with us. Then, appropriate action will be taken. The CM has promised to address our issues wherever possible,” said the federation’s general secretary, B Govindaraj Hegde.
The opposition BJP has taken up the issue of bribes in the excise department on a war footing. Even Prime Minister Narendra Modi, during a campaign in Maharashtra, mentioned it, stating that excise revenue from Karnataka is being siphoned off and the funds might be directed towards bypoll campaigns in Maharashtra and Jharkhand.
Siddaramaiah responded to the PM’s allegations, challenging him to prove the claims. He said that if the allegations were proven right, he would step down, but if not, the PM should resign.
The Congress government said they plan to take legal action against PM Modi and BJP for accusing the Grand Old Party of “looting people” in Karnataka and alleging the money was being used for campaigning in Maharashtra.
“After the Maharshi Valmiki ST Development Corporation scam, MUDA land scam, KIADB land scam, Waqf scam, this liquor scam is yet another fresh addition to the series of scams by the CM Siddaramaiah-led Congress government in the last 17 months,” alleged R Ashoka, the Leader of Opposition.
The Karnataka BJP also found fresh ammunition to attack the government when a raid in Udupi uncovered over Rs 50 lakh worth of whisky at the home of Avinash Malli Shetty, a district Congress leader.