Karnataka Congress Seizes on COVID-19 Report, Accuses BJP of Corruption

Kalaburagi – The Karnataka Congress, ahead of upcoming bypolls, has seized upon the Justice Michael D’Cunha’s Commission report on the COVID-19 pandemic, alleging widespread corruption by the former BJP government.

Minister Sharan Prakash Patil and Congress MLA Ajay Singh, speaking at a joint press conference on Tuesday, accused the BJP of profiting from the crisis, citing the report's findings of overpricing in medical equipment and supplies. The report recommends recovering Rs 49 crore from alleged profiteering.

“During the Covid -19 pandemic, which shook the entire world, massive corruption took place under the then BJP government, as revealed in the Justice Cunha Committee report," stated Patil, Minister of Medical Education, Skill Development, Entrepreneurship, and Livelihood. He further alleged that the BJP benefited from inflated prices for PPE kits, CT scanners, and ventilators, and that notices have been issued to former department secretaries.

The Congress party also alleges over Rs 200 crore in fraud related to RT-PCR testing at Kidwai Hospital. Patil emphasized that the current report is only an interim report, suggesting more corruption will be uncovered in the final report.

BJP leaders, including Union Minister Pralhad Joshi, accused Justice Cunha of being an agent. Patil deemed Joshi's comments "objectionable" and filed a complaint with the Governor. Patil accused the BJP of attempting to destabilize the government, citing former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda's statement that joining hands with former CM B.S. Yediyurappa is to overthrow the Congress government. Patil stated, "The people of Karnataka have chosen us, giving us unprecedented support," indicating that the BJP's efforts to overthrow the Congress government would be unsuccessful.