Nagendra offered resignation to avoid embarrassment for the party: DCM D K Shivakumar

Bengaluru: Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Thursday said that minister B Nagendra offered to resign voluntarily to avoid embarrassment for the party and was not asked by the Party to do so.

Speaking to reporters at the KPCC office, he said, “We had a meeting with him on Wednesday. During the discussion, Nagendra said that he had not committed any violation and was ready to face any inquiry including CBI investigation. The media reports that the Chief Minister has asked him to resign are not true. He did not want to embarrass the party and hence said he would take a decision on the resignation.”

Rahul Gandhi to visit State, meet new Congress MPs

“Rahul Gandhi would visit Karnataka on Friday. He would attend the City Civil Court in the morning and later meet and greet the newly elected Congress MPs and defeated candidates over lunch at the KPCC office,” the DCM said.

“Rahul Gandhi would attend the Court in connection with a case filed by the BJP over an advertisement by the Congress party on corruption rate card. BJP’s Yatnal himself had said that the Chief Minister’s post costs Rs 2500 crore in BJP. The advertisement included media reports about BJP’s corruption. Rahul Gandhi’s name has been included in the complaint to get publicity,” he said.

Records of illegal transfer of funds during BJP found

“Records of illegal funds transfer during BJP’s term have been found. There were many investigations of several illegal funds transfer during the BJP’s term but were swept under the carpet. In many cases, the funds have been brought back also. All such cases will be investigated. We will also investigate allegations of Goolihatti Shekar,” he said.

“The Chief Minister and ministers of the previous BJP government are very well aware of the scams during their term. We have also received information regarding the same. I won’t go to the extent of saying that the BJP leaders are involved in this, but we will investigate everything,” said the DCM.

“We will call the chairmen of all the Corporations and discuss this matter. These things are being done for the sake of interest. The CM and Finance Department has released some instructions regarding this,” he said.

Asked about BJP’s allegation that the Valmiki Corporation scam money had been used in Telangana elections, he said that was a stupid statement from the BJP.

Asked if officials are committing these crimes without the knowledge of the ministers, he said, “It can’t happen like this and it should not too. Funds can’t be transferred from one bank account to another without a Board resolution. Many bankers used to come to me when I was the Power Minister requesting deposits in their banks but we did not heed to those requests.”

“Every Corporation has Secretaries of the level of Additional Chief Secretaries and they function responsibly. The Chief Minister has already formed an SIT and ordered investigation. The CBI will also investigate the case,” he said.

Asked about some ministers expressing the opinion that guarantee schemes haven’t paid off, he said, “We won’t get to know who has voted and who hasn’t. The number of seats has gone up from one to nine. We were expecting 14 seats. I had said double digits thinking we would at least get 10 seats.”

Replying to a query on whether all the opponents have worked together in Bengaluru Rural, he said, “It is natural. All the anti-Congress votes have come together. We did not expect the consolidation of this magnitude. I had not seen a defeat after 1985, it is a lesson for us.”

Asked if Vokkaliga and Lingayat votes have come together in Old Mysuru Region, he said, “I will talk to our MLAs, workers and then comment on that. I don’t want to blame anyone, but we have lost.”

I won’t give up

Asked if there is a thinking to field D K Suresh in Channapatna bye-poll, he said, “Media may have that thinking. We have to recover from the defeat first, but we are not going to sit at home because of the defeat. I take this as a personal defeat. We will work for the people and party workers who are with us, at all costs.”

Asked about Kumaraswamy’s demand for the Agriculture ministry in the Union Council of ministers, he said he would be happy if it does good for the state.

Asked about election review meeting, he said, the review meeting has been postponed as leaders are travelling to Delhi on June 8.

Referring to Rajanna’s statement that the Party must accommodate on DCM from each community, he said, “Ask the CM and Surjewala.”

Asked who would be the Opposition leader in the Lok Sabha, he said there was no better choice than Rahul Gandhi.