Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, who was in Delhi on Thursday to discuss the Cauvery water issue with the party high command, also obtained clearance to reinduct senior leader K.J. George into the Ministry, sources said.
It is learnt that the Chief Minister is keen on allocating the Bengaluru Development and Town Planning portfolio to Mr. George, who represents the Sarvagnanagar constituency in the city, and is seen as part of the inner circle of the Chief Minister.
Mr. George had to step down from the Ministry following allegations that he had a role in abetting the suicide of Dy.SP M.K. Ganapathy in July, which had created a huge uproar. With the re-induction of Mr. George on Monday, the Siddaramaiah Ministry will reach its maximum size of 34, and there will be no scope for further expansion.
On September 5, the Chief Minister expanded his Council of Ministry by inducting two-time MLA M. Krishnappa.
‘Eyewash’
Meanwhile, the principal Opposition BJP has threatened to step up protest opposing the re-induction of Mr. George. Former Law Minister and BJP leader Suresh Kumar said the decision makes it clear that CID probe was a “mere eyewash”. The Opposition has also refused to accept the clean chit given by the CID and demanded a CBI probe into the case.
Ganapathy, who committed suicide on July 7, 2016, in a video interview with a Madikeri news channel, said he had faced harassment at the hands of Mr. George and two senior IPS officers, A.M. Prasad and Pronab Mohanty. This had led to a political storm, with the Opposition demanding that he step down. Mr. George resigned from his post after a CID probe was initiated.
However, the CID, on September 17, submitted a ‘B’ Report to the Madikeri Principal Civil Judge, JMFC Court, giving a clean chit to Mr. George as well as the two IPS officers accused of abetting the suicide. The final decision on the ‘B’ Report is pending before the magistrate of the additional JMFC Court, Madikeri.
Meanwhile, Ganapathy’s family plea for a CBI probe before the High Court of Karnataka has been rejected on the ground that it did not provide adequate material evidence for a probe.
