JD(S), Congress LP meetings today over plea on Upalokayukta

HDK to decide stand on plea for motion to remove Justice Adi

The Congress and the JD(S) have convened their respective legislature party meetings in Bengaluru on Monday to decide on petitioning Legislative Assembly Speaker Kagodu Thimmappa to move a motion for removing Upalokayukta Justice Subhash B Adi.

The BJP is likely to remain neutral if such a motion is moved by the JD(S) and the Congress.

‘Cong fear behind move’
One version doing rounds in political circles on why the Congress has suddenly taken up the issue of removing the Upalo-kayukta is that the party is apprehensive of Justice Adi taking control of the institution of the anti-corruption ombudsman if Lokayukta Y Bhaskar Rao is removed. Several cases, including the Arkavathi denotification issues, that are said to be not in favour of the Congress are pending before the Lokayukta.

Congress MLC H M Revanna said his party had no vested interest in its proposal to move a motion to remove Justice Adi. “We only want a clean and transparent Lokayukta institution,” he said.

Besides Revanna, Congress legislators V S Ugrappa and P M Ashok had recently demanded the resignation of Justice Adi for “overstepping”  his jurisdiction and closing a case involving a close relative of BJP leader Jagadish Shettar. The case was related to government medical officer Dr Sheela Patil, who is said to be a relative of Shettar.

Congress’ proposal to remove Justice Adi comes at a time when the formality of admitting petitions by the BJP and the Congress, seeking a motion to remove Justice Rao, will be completed by Assembly Speaker Kagodu Thimmappa and Council Chairman D H Shankaramurthy on Monday.

Both BJP and JD(S) - in their petitions submitted to Kagodu and Shankaramurthy last week - contend that the present Lokayukta should be removed on grounds of “misconduct” and “incompetence”. Congress will also be filing its petition signed by around 85 legislators in the Assembly on Monday.

Sources said the JD(S)’ decision on whether or not to sign the petition seeking a motion to remove the Upalokayukta will depend on the stand taken by its State president H D Kumaraswamy. As in the case of the procedure to remove the Lokayukta, a minimum of 75 MLAs of the total 225 MLAs (25 of the total 75 MLCs in the Council) have to sign the petition seeking a motion to remove the Upalokayukta.