The single digit lottery scam is going to haunt the two-year-old Congress Government led by Siddaramaiah in Karnataka. The day after the suspension of a senior top cop with his alleged involvement with a kingpin Pari Rajan, the Opposition like in the case of DK Ravi, an IAS officer who had died in a mysterious circumstances, is now gunning for Siddaramaiah. The major Opposition BJP was quick to demand a CBI probe into the lottery scam, the other Opposition JD(S) wants the Government to be dismissed.
BJP senior leader and Union Minister DV Sadananda Gowda demanded a CBI probe and said, “top officials and some Ministers are involved in it.” He said, “Just because top officials and some of the senior leaders, Ministers of the present Government are involved in this (single-digit lottery scam) — I think this cannot be investigated by the police of Karnataka. If they are fair enough, they should refer the matter to the CBI so that there could be clean and neat investigation and truth comes out.”
Former Minister and BJP spokesperson Suresh Kumar said it was a case of intelligence failure and questioned the intelligence wing for not keeping Siddaramaiah informed for two years.
“How can Home Minister escape from his responsibilityIJ Why did our State intelligence not keep Chief Minister informed for two yearsIJ It is a case of intelligence failure, pure and simple. Here is an example of how to weakly handle Home Ministry,” he said.
Janata Dal (Secular) State president HD Kumaraswamy urged Governor Vajubhai Vala to dismiss the State Government after the CID, which is probing the illegal lottery scam, submitted its interim report naming top police officials for having links with suspected lottery kingpin Pari Rajan.
The former Chief Minister told reporters that the CID interim report has vindicated his earlier stand that illegal single-digit lottery business was thriving across the State.
Pooh-poohing Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s claim that the State had a ‘scam-free’ Government, Kumaraswamy said, “The CID interim report has exposed the hollowness of the two-year-old (State) Government.” He demanded that the CM and Home Minister KJ George resign on moral grounds. Alok Kumar, Additional Commissioner of Police (West Bengaluru), was on Saturday suspended for his alleged involvement in lottery scam.
A Government order said, Kumar had illegal contact with Pari Rajan, said to be the kingpin in the scam, and not only helped him but also interfered in the investigation process. Rajan is already in police custody.
However, Kumar has denied any kind of involvement in the case and demanded a fair investigation. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had said the action was taken on the basis of an interim report submitted by the CID.