Kalaburagi: Accusing chief Minister Siddaramaiah of trying to protect Lokayukta Justice Bhaskar Rao, who is facing charges of corruption, JD(S) Supremo H.D. Deve Gowda asserted that as the latter was refusing to resign, tabling an impeachment motion against him in the Assembly was the only course left.
Mr Gowda, who was in Kalaburagi to launch a campaign to rejuvenate the JDS which, according to his own admission had weakened considerably, dropped enough hints that the CM had not conducted himself properly after the scandal hit the Lokayukta. “What happened in the Assembly? The CM defending the Lokayukta on the floor of the House-is it not enough?”, Mr Gowda retorted when media persons posed a question to him.
However, the former PM did not clarify why the Siddaramaiah was trying to protect the Ayukta. “Why should I tell you? Many CMs have come and gone. So is the case with the Lokayuktas. But whoever is there on the chair should uphold its honour and dignity ”, he remarked.
Asked whether the nexus between the chief minister and the corrupt officers, who are alleged to have paid bribes to the Loka yukta to avoid raids on their premises, was the reason for the former trying to defend the ombudsman, Mr Gowda quoting former Lokayukta Santosh Hegde replied that only a CBI inquiry would expose the nexus.
