Mangaluru: Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah said on Saturday that the state government is mulling STI probe into the illegal mining scam.

Siddaramaiah, while interacting with journalists at Mangaluru International Airport, said the government is contemplating on setting up SIT for a re-investigation into the scam. “We thought of it (setting up SIT),” Siddaramaiah said in reply to queries of reporters. The CM was in the city to inaugurate the two-day Indian Karate Championship 2017 at Nehru Maidan.

“It (illegal mining) is a huge scam involving over Rs 25,000 crore. The CBI has said there is no evidence to prove the scam. We will examine the possibilities of conducting a fresh inquiry through SIT. We will have to discuss about the proposal. Hence, a decision will be taken after discussing it. I will have to look into it,” Siddaramaiah said.

To a query on BJP’s Nava Karnataka Nirmana Parivarthana Yatre, the CM said, “Parivarthane” needed for the BJP.” Calling the BJP’s Parivarthana Yatre as ‘Paschathapa’ (repentance) yatre’, the CM said, “whose transformation they are seeking. They need to be transformed first. Their show is a flop. People are not with them and this fact was proved during their rally. They said three lakh people will gather in the meet, but empty chairs were seen.”

When asked about Congress’s plans to counter BJP’s parivarthana yatre, Siddaramaiah said he will also go to each constituency in state for campaign. “I will also go to each constituency in the state, but it will not be like BJP’s Parivarthana Yatre,” he said.