Bommai dares Congress as Bitcoin barbs fly thick and fast

BENGALURU: On a day Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai was in New Delhi to meet the party bosses, the multi-crore ‘Bitcoin scam’ created ripples in the political circles back home. While some Opposition leaders went to the extent of predicting that Bommai may have to step down, the CM took aim at the Congress saying that leaders of that party too are involved in the alleged scam, which the Enforcement Directorate is probing.

To a query from reporters in Delhi, the CM clarified that the party leadership had not sought any report on the bitcoin issue at all.  Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee president D K Shivakumar said his party leaders have been collecting information with regard to the Bitcoin transactions and insisted that the CM should reveal about the investigation. “Information regarding whose wallet the seized Bitcoins have gone to, and who are involved, should be made public. We will put forth the information we have before the people, let the BJP government furnish it to the court of law,” he demanded.

Reacting to this, the CM said, “Anyways, the ED probe is on and we are open to a probe by any agency. Let the Opposition leaders provide information with regard to whatever illegal transactions have taken place and those involved. We will not let the accused go scotfree, whoever they may be,” he stressed. Opposition leader in the Assembly, Siddaramaiah, tweeted urging the CM to reveal the names of politicians and officials who had ‘quietly’ swindled money in Bitcoin scam and to take action against them. “The CM should stop issuing vague statements that even Congress leaders are involved in it. He should reveal their names names and take action,” he insisted. 

With a tinge of sarcasm, Bommai noted that Siddaramaiah should act responsibly as a leader of the Opposition before making baseless allegations against the government. In Kalaburagi, KPCC spokesperson Priyank Kharge, who is former IT/BT minister, predicted that Bommai will have to give up office as a fallout of the Bitcoin scam. “If an impartial and transparent inquiry is conducted, the truth will come out within a month. The question is whether the government is interested in punishing the guilty or not,” he told reporters. He also demanded the government take action against the accused, irrespective of party allegiance.

Though he initially refused to react, Bommai later remarked, “I will not react to the likes of Priyank Kharge who do not have correct information about it, and I pity him for that. He should worry more about his own party leaders’ names cropping up in the scam,” he warned. Former deputy CM Dr G Parameshwara was more guarded and said it is too early to predict a change of guard since there was no evidence of the Bommai family’s involvement in the alleged scam.

On the other hand, JDS leader and former CM H D Kumaraswamy accused both the national parties of trying to hush up the case. “The scam came to light when Siddaramaiah was CM. It surfaced during 2017-18 and, if action was taken then, it would not have taken the shape of a scam,” he remarked. He also added that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will have all the information with regard to the alleged scam.