Thaawarchand Gehlot
Credit: Special Arrangement
Just days after the Congress warned Karnataka ministers of ‘zero tolerance’ towards corruption, the Siddaramaiah administration suffered a jolt after it emerged on Monday that Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot has sought action over a complaint accusing Agriculture Minister N Chaluvarayaswamy of bribery.
In a letter dated August 1, the Governor’s special secretary wrote to Chief Secretary Vandita Sharma seeking “examination” and “necessary action” into a complaint that reached Raj Bhavan. The complaint was purportedly written by seven assistant agriculture directors from Mandya -- Chaluvarayaswamy’s district.
Chaluvarayaswamy said the complaint could be “fake” even as the BJP demanded his resignation.
According to Raj Bhavan’s letter to the chief secretary, Chaluvarayaswamy pressured the assistant directors to give him Rs 6-8 lakh each. Apparently, officials have threatened to die by suicide along with their families if “this evil practice of bribery” does not end, the letter stated.
Chaluvarayaswamy denied the allegations. “I spoke to the superintendent of police and the joint director. I told the SP to immediately take up a preliminary inquiry. I have asked the chief minister, too, to initiate an inquiry and act against those who are behind this. I or my office have not indulged in anything like this,” the minister said.
“Prima facie, it looks like a fake letter. We must first find out who wrote it,” Chaluvarayaswamy said.
The BJP latched on to the development and demanded Chaluvarayaswamy’s sacking. “The only ‘transparency’ in Siddaramaiah’s government is ‘bid’ for transfers! Higher the bid, highest post! It’s just cash-and-carry! Corruption levels in transfers have reached the max limits,” BJP MLA Basanagouda Patil Yatnal, a contender for the Leader of the Opposition’s position, said.