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Friday, March 29 2024
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Bengaluru

Lokayukta Bhaskar Rao’s ouster: Congress join hands with Opposition

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Bengaluru: The state government, in the Legislative Assembly on Friday, announced that it would back the move made by the Opposition for the removal of Lokayukta Justice Bhaskar Rao over the corruption case.

After CM Siddaramaiah announced the ruling party’s decision to back the petition seeking the removal of Justice Rao, Speaker Kagodu Thimmappa scheduled a full fledged debate on the subject in the Assembly on Monday.

With the Congress joining in, the future of Rao, who is facing charges of abetting internal corruption in the anti-corruption watchdog, becomes more shaky. He is currently on the fifth extension of leave.

Announcing the government’s decision, Kagodu Thimmappa said, “Congress legislators will submit a petition to remove the Lokayukta. The issue would be discussed on Monday and after passage of the motion, it would be forwarded to the Chief Justice of Karnataka High Court for further action. This decision of the ruling party.”
 
However, the decision of the ruling party evoked a mixed response from the Opposition. While leader of Opposition Jagadish Shettar welcomed the move, another BJP leader C T Ravi, said, The delay in Congress legislators joining hands with the Opposition to oust the Lokayukta had created a feeling that some people in the government were trying to protect Justice Bhaskar Rao.”

When law minister T B Jayachandra objected to such remarks, Ravi said, “Let us get the telephone conversation records of Justice Bhaskar Rao and see who he was talking to when the Opposition sought his removal during the previous session in Belagavi.”

The Speaker intervened saying that the members should not enter into arguments at this juncture.  
 
Sources in the ruling party said that they decided to join hands with the Opposition to not send a wrong signal on its campaign against corruption. Also supporting the Lokayukta in any way would seriously erode the party’s image. The Opposition had already accused the Congress of protecting the Lokayukta.

Thimmappa had earlier held a long discussion with Kamal Pant, head of Special Investigation Team (SIT) formed by the government in June to probe into charges of internal corruption in the Lokayukta. Panth explained that the two charge sheets filed by SIT in the court directly indicts Rao’s son Ashwin Y. and that the phone calls and dealings that had taken place at his house further indicate Rao’s involvement.

Inputs from agencies

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