Covid scam: Let Yatnal submit documents before enquiry commission, says Siddaramaiah

Yatnal on Tuesday had warned that he would expose the alleged irregularities to the tune of Rs 40,000 crore in the BJP government in Karnataka led by Yediyurappa at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic if he was expelled from the party.

Bengaluru (Karnataka): Reacting to BJP MLA Basanagouda Patil Yatnal's allegations against former CM BS Yediyurappa, chief minister Siddaramaiah has asked him to place relevant documents before the inquiry commission.

Yatnal on Tuesday warned that he would expose the alleged irregularities to the tune of Rs 40,000 crore in the BJP government in Karnataka led by Yediyurappa at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic if he was expelled from the party.

"If MLA Yatnal wants the guilty to be punished, then let him place the documents regarding the COVID-19 scam during the BJP period before the inquiry commission," said Siddaramaiah on Thursday.

The Karnataka CM was responding to a question from media personnel about the allegations made by Yatnal about the scam that has taken place during the BJP's tenure.

"I will take out names who have looted and made property wherever. BS Yediyurappa was the Chief Minister in the first wave of corona. 40,000 crores of rupees had been embezzled at that time. They billed 8 to 10 lakh rupees for each corona patient," Yatnal had said.

"It was our government, doesn't matter whose government was in power, thieves are thieves," he said.

CM Siddaramaiah had earlier also reacted to the allegations of the BJP MLA, saying that this supplements the earlier accusation against the BJP government that it was a 40 percent commission government.

"BJP MLA @BasanagoudaBJP's bold allegation that the previous @BJP4Karnataka government led by @BSYBJP was involved in a Rs 40,000 crore corruption scandal during the COVID-19 pandemic has given further evidence to our earlier accusation that the BJP government was a '40 percent commission government," tweeted Siddaramaiah.

"If we consider Yatnal's accusation, it seems like the corruption is 10 times more than our estimate. The group of BJP ministers who had come out howling at our accusation and held a press conference in Vidhana Soudha, where are they hiding now?" he added.

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