JOIN USLaw Minister Suresh Kumar on Sunday refused to withdraw his resignation and insisted that the chief minister order a probe into allegations that he had suppressed facts while securing a BDA site under ‘G’ category.
Kumar stuck to his decision to quit even as top BJP leaders and party workers mounted pressure on him to withdraw his resignation.
“Let the chief minister order a probe into the allegations. It is left to the chief minister to decide on the nature of investigation. Let the truth come out. Till then, there is no question of withdrawing my resignation from the Cabinet,” Suresh Kumar told reporters.
Kumar had put in his papers following a media report based on information provided by a former party worker R Bhaskaran that the BJP leader had secured a BDA site under the chief minister’s discretionary quota though his mother owned a house in Basaveshwaranagar. The minister was also accused of filing a false affidavit violating rules governing allotment of government plots to get the site.
However, Chief Minister D V Sadananda Gowda on Saturday had refused to accept the resignation and had asked the minister to reconsider his decision. On Sunday, Gowda left for Nagpur to attend party national president Nitin Gadkari’s son’s wedding. According to official sources, the government may ask the Advocate General to look into the allegations and give his legal advice.
On Sunday, several BJP leaders, BBMP corporators and party workers made a beeline to Kumar’s Basaveshwaranagar residence and urged him to withdraw his resignation. Senior central leader Arun Jaitley and Dharmendra Pradhan also had a telephonic conversation with him. “I am greatful to their concern and overwhelmed by the people’s support”, Kumar said.
He visited the BJP party office in Malleswaram on Sunday morning and held talks with party general secretary (Organisation) Santosh. In the afternoon Kumar was seen chatting with his trusted aides outside his residence.
The minister also called on party president K S Eshwarappa at the latter’s residence later in the day. Bhaskaran, who had secured documents under Right to Information Act to make allegations against Kumar, said he would soon address a press conference in New Delhi.
“I am getting all the documents with me translated into English. I will hold a press conference in Delhi this week”, he said. Bhaskaran said he wanted to expose the alleged irregularities of Kumar before the central leaders of the party.
Bhaskaran said soon after returning from the national capital he will file a criminal case against the minister.