Removing Lokayukta: Speaker to convene all-party meeting

Legislative Assembly Speaker Kagodu Thimmappa on Tuesday said he would take all the legislators into confidence before taking further action on the petitions submitted by the BJP and JD(S) seeking to move a motion for removing Lokayukta Justice Y Bhaskar Rao.

Speaking to reporters after receiving the petitions at his chambers in Vidhana Soudha, Kagodu said,  “There are certain legal issues involved in the process. For instance, there is no clarity on what should be done if a panel set up by the Chief Justice of Karnataka High Court to look into the charges, fails to submit the report within a stipulated time.
Similarly, it is not clear what should be done if the panel finds all charges baseless. It is better to take MLAs of all the parties into confidence.”

The Speaker said he will soon convene a meeting of leaders of all the parties to discuss the petition for the removal of the Lokayukta. “I will discuss pros and cons of the petition to move the motion with all the legislators and take an appropriate decision in two to three days”, he added.

Council Chairman D H Shankaramurthy said he would consult the Speaker, the law secretary and legal experts before deciding on the next step of action.

Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly Jagadish Shettar told reporters after submitting the petition that the Lokayukta would have resigned if he had any moral values.
“He (justice Bhaskar Rao) has brought disrepute to the anti-corruption watchdog and let down people of the State. We have urged the Speaker to initiate the process for his removal,” he stated.

JD(S) MLA Y S V Datta said he has urged Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to support the move for the removal of the Lokayukta.

BJP MLC Ganesh Karnik said that though the Opposition was hopeful of the getting the Lokayukta ousted, there were many ambiguities in the amended Lokayukta Act, which may go against the legislators. He said that there is no provision in the Act on the course of action if the inquiry committee comprising the judges, fails to submit the report within 90 days.

Senior JD(S) MLA K M Shivalinge Gowda said the process to remove the Lokayukta is lengthy and there are certain legal complications also. Hence, the legislature should take steps to dissolve the existing institution of Lokayukta and set up a new body, he added.