Karnataka CM Orders CID Probe into Corruption Allegations Against Minister Chaluvarayaswamy – News18

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Tuesday decided to hand over the alleged graft complaint against Agriculture Minister N Chaluvarayaswamy to Crime Investigation Department (CID) for a comprehensive investigation.

The decision to conduct a CID probe came in the wake of a debate on whether the letter of agriculture officials of the Mandya district is genuine or fake. The probe was ordered after the CM held a long discussion with Home Minister G Parameshwara at his official house office in Bengaluru.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), as well as Janata Dal (Secular), demanded the CM that Agriculture Minister Chaluvarayaswamy must be sacked as it is for the second time that the alleged graft charges were levelled against him.

“The letter can’t be called fake. As the Governor’s office further instructed the state Chief Secretary to investigate. Whenever a letter comes out, Siddaramaiah says it is BJP’s creation. Their leader Rahul Gandhi said zero tolerance for corruption. But What is taking place here? The truth should come out and the minister must be sacked,” said BJP MLC Chalavadi Narayanaswamy.

Attacking Siddaramaiah, JD(S) leader HD Kumaraswamy called him an “incapable CM”.

The letter sent to Raj Bhavan on Monday seeking appropriate action against the minister for allegedly demanding a bribe came as a shock to the Siddaramaiah government.

In a letter dated August 1 which the Congress leaders and officials termed it a fake, Mandya district agriculture department’s seven officials alleged that the minister pressured the Assistant Directors to give Rs 6-8 lakh bribe each. The letter also stated that if the bribe practice didn’t end then they would die by suicide with their families.

The Joint Director of the Agriculture Department in Mandya, Ashok VS also filed a complaint about the fake letter and stated that he checked with the officials in the department but they said that no complaint was made by them and thus it is an attempt to allegedly malign the minister’s image and the probe should take place.