On Sunday, Union Heavy Industries and Steel Minister HD Kumaraswamy accused the Congress government in Karnataka of taking bribes as high as 60%. He claimed that even Congress party workers openly talk about this high percentage of corruption. Kumaraswamy shared that bribes are being collected not just for government projects but also for housing allocations meant for poor people.
He pointed out that while before it was typically lower-level officials, now even ministers in the Vidhana Soudha (the state legislative assembly) are reportedly accepting bribes. Kumaraswamy criticized Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, questioning whether he is truly following the principles of truth and honesty, which is symbolized by the phrase “Satyameva Jayate” (Truth Alone Triumphs). He asked if there is no end to their greed for stealing public money.
Kumaraswamy referred to the difficult situation faced by contractors in the state, mentioning that even those supporting the Congress believe the previous BJP government was better. He warned that the Congress party and Siddaramaiah will face serious consequences for this corruption in the future.
In response, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah dismissed Kumaraswamy’s allegations as baseless. He claimed that if the opposition makes accusations, they need to provide real proof to support their claims. The Congress party won the elections in May 2023 after accusing the former BJP government of demanding 40% kickbacks from contractors for awarding government projects.
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