No progress till date in 170 cases pertaining to state pending with CBI: K’taka Home Minister

Hubballi, July 31 (IANS) Karnataka Home Minister G. Parameshwara lashed out at the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Wednesday, claiming that no progress has been made in 170 cases pertaining to the state pending before the probe agency.Answering a question on the BJP’s demand to hand over the MUDA and tribal welfare scam cases to the CBI, Parameshwara stated, “Why should the scams be handed over to the CBI? There are 170 cases pertaining to the state pending with the CBI. Till date no progress has been made in those cases by the CBI.”“Do we really have to hand over? We don’t have trust in the CBI. The BJP called the CBI as Chor Bachao Sanstha and Congress Bachao Sanstha. Suddenly, the CBI has become close to them,” he charged.With regard to the Valmiki tribal welfare board scam, the government took cognizance after the suicide of Chandrasekaran and immediately a Special Investigation Team was formed. “We did not see who is involved. Since bank fraud was involved, the CBI is probing. The ED is probing the money trail. Three investigations are going on and the reports are yet to come,” he stated.“We have taken the resignation of the minister as allegations have surfaced. The ED has taken him into custody. In what way is the CM involved? The CM himself has clarified on the MUDA scam. He is not a signatory to it. Thousands of sites are distributed in the same manner,” he said.When asked about the caste jibe against Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, he said that everyone has an identity in the country. We are a progressive society, being a parliamentarian a person can’t talk in this fashion. The BJP leaders speak only to get attention, he said.When asked whether he wishes to become the Chief Minister, he quipped, “I am not in