Bengaluru: Home minister G Parameshwara Thursday said the Justice HN Nagamohan Das inquiry commission had only submitted an interim report on its investigation into allegations that the previous BJP govt took 40% kickback to award civil contracts and insisted that final report could contain more evidence of wrongdoing.
Parameshwara was reacting to reports which suggested that Justice Das, who investigated claims that ministers and officials sought a 40% cut in civil works during the BJP’s tenure from 2019 to 2023, reportedly found insufficient evidence to substantiate claims although it did find significant procedural lapses in civil works.
Justice Das had submitted a voluminous 20,000-page interim report to chief minister Siddaramaiah recently.
“The commission submitted a report based on evidence it has gathered so far, but it may need to collect more,” said Parameshwara, justifying the investigation. “This is only an interim report. The final report could have additional evidence.”
Responding to the Karnataka high court’s order allowing Enforcement Directorate (ED) to proceed with its investigation in the Muda alternative sites allotment case — which involves chief minister Siddaramaiah and his wife Parvathi BM — Parameshwara said, “If the high court gives permission to ED, they will investigate it. Let them do so.”
He also dismissed reports of internal differences in the party, insisting that while there may be minor differences of opinion there are no major disputes. He refuted speculation that his absence in Delhi — where Siddaramaiah, his deputy DK Shivakumar, and senior ministers are meeting party central brass — was due to any dissatisfaction.
While confirming that he was not invited for the inauguration of the new Karnataka Bhavan in Delhi, he downplayed its significance, stating, “It is not too important to attend. Where is internal difference? I don’t know. You (media) may be creating and saying certain things. There are no differences among us. Congress is at the helm, and we are running the administration and implementing programmes.”