Bengaluru, July 16 (Reporter) Karnataka Leader of Opposition R Ashoka on Tuesday called for Chief Minister Siddaramaiah's resignation over alleged scandal involving the Karnataka Maharshi Valmiki Scheduled Tribes Development Corporation Ltd. The scandal, which has seized the attention of the Karnataka Legislative Assembly for two consecutive days, has sparked fierce controversy and accusations of embezzlement. Speaking on the issue on the Assembly floor, Ashoka launched a scathing attack on the Congress government, alleging a "massive misappropriation" of Rs 187 crore intended for the welfare of the Scheduled Tribe community. According to Ashoka, these funds were illicitly redirected to Telangana, a move he claims was aimed at securing electoral advantages. “The Chief Minister must step down,” Ashoka demanded. “The Scheduled Tribe community has been denied critical benefits, and it is the government's obligation to recover and restore this stolen money.” The demand for Siddaramaiah's resignation has triggered intense exchanges between the opposition and Treasury bench members. Ashoka directly blamed the Chief Minister, citing Siddaramaiah's oversight of the Finance Department as evidence of his involvement in the scandal. “As the holder of the finance portfolio, Siddaramaiah bears moral responsibility and should resign,” Ashoka insisted. The controversy gained traction following the tragic suicide of P Chandrashekhar, the corporation's accounts superintendent. Chandrashekhar's purported suicide note was read out by Ashoka in the Assembly on Monday, while alleging a a breach of trust, and an unauthorised transfer of Rs 88.62 crore to accounts linked with major IT firms and a Hyderabad-based cooperative bank. Ashoka condemned the alleged misuse of digital payment platforms such as PhonePe and Google Pay as financial misconduct. He has called for a comprehensive investigation by the CBI and ED, accusing the government of attempting to obscure the truth. The Special Investigation Team (SIT) set up to probe the case has come under fire for its perceived sluggishness. “It’s been 40 days, and no notices have been issued to key figures like B Nagendra and Basanagouda Daddal,” Ashoka noted. He contrasted this with the swift action taken against former JD(S) MP Prajwal Revanna, suggesting a possible cover-up. Scheduled Tribes Welfare Minister Nagendra, implicated in the scandal, resigned on June 6 and is currently in Enforcement Directorate custody. Ashoka underscored the personal cost of the scandal, highlighting Chandrashekhar’s sacrifice as instrumental in bringing the issue to light. Senior BJP MLA Suresh Kumar derisively dubbed the SIT as the "Siddaramaiah Shivakumar Investigation Team," drawing sharp rebukes from Congress members. The Assembly continues to grapple with the fallout of the alleged scandal, with mounting calls for accountability and transparency in the investigation process...////...