JOIN USA war of words ensued between Social Welfare minister H Anjaneya and the Opposition members over fake caste certificates in the Legislative Council on Monday.
The duel began during the Question Hour with BJP member R K Siddaramanna seeking to know the steps taken by the government to check the menace of fake certificates.
K B Shanappa (BJP) alleged that some people had become members of the legislature on the basis of fake caste certificates and the government should initiate serious measures to tackle the problem. However, the minister shot back saying that it was a BJP member who was found to have produced a fake caste certificate.
“We all know that none of such MLAs came from our party, but from your party (BJP), the man who represented Shimoga Rural constituency during your tenure,” Anjaneya said.This led to a uproar in the Council, with Leader of the Opposition Sadananda Gowda seeking to know which party did former minister K T Rathod belong to. He demanded that action should be taken against the official who the minister claimed helped the BJP legislator in fabricating the caste certificate. “Let him be placed under suspension, till the air is cleared over the entire controversy,” Gowda said.
Earlier, the BJP alleged that the decision to remove the previous chairperson of the Karnataka Backward Classes Commission was “politically motivated” However, Anjaneya defended the action terming it as an administrative decision after the new regime took over. He said the vacancy would be filled shortly.