In what is being dubbed as a political strategy to counter the BJP, the ruling Congress on Monday submitted a petition to Legislative Assembly Speaker Kagodu Thimmappa to move a motion to oust Upalokayukta Subhash B Adi.
The petition, submitted by a delegation led by Law Minister T B Jayachandra, Public Works Minister H C Mahadevappa and ruling party chief whip P M Ashoka, came after the Congress rallied to get the signatures of the required number (one-third of the total strength of the House) 75 of the total 225 legislators.
The petition has been signed by 78 Congress MLAs. As many 26 ministers too had signed on the dotted line, but their signatures were not included in the petition.
Sources said the petition contended that the present Upalokayukta should be removed on grounds of “misconduct” and “incompetence”. The petition also accuses Justice Adi of nepotism and tarnishing the image of the institution of the Lokayukta.
In the evening, Speaker Thimmappa announced in the House that the petition had been submitted to him and he would decide on the next course of action as per the provisions of the Karnataka Lokayukta Act.
The BJP members were soon on their feet accusing the government of hatching a conspiracy to close down the institution of Lokayukta. “There are no charges against the Upalokayukta. Why has the Congress suddenly taken up the issue? It is clear that they want to close down the institution of Lokayukta and have a free run with their corrupt activities,” Leader of the Opposition Jagadish Shettar said.
The BJP members staged a ‘dharna’ in the well of the House protesting the Congress’ move.
Official sources said the government was keen on doing away with the present establishment of the institution of Lokayukta and come up with a new anti-corruption watchdog on the lines of the Lokpal. A draft Lokpal bill has been prepared, they said.
When repeated requests by the Speaker to the BJP members to resume their seat failed, he adjourned the House for the day.
One version doing the rounds in political circles on why the Congress has suddenly taken up the issue of removing the Upalokayukta is that the party is apprehensive about Justice Adi taking control of the institution of the anti-corruption ombudsman in the event of the removal of Lokayukta Y Bhaskar Rao. Several cases, including the Arkavathi denotification issues among others, said to be not in favour of the Congress, are pending before the Lokayukta.
Justice Adi was appointed when Jagadish Shettar was the chief minister. Earlier in the day, the ruling party had directed all its MLAs to be present in the Assembly an hour in advance and sign the draft petition. Chief whip Ashoka had taken the initiative to collect the signatures of the MLAs. Sources in the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) said a section of the Congress MLAs were “not happy with the move to seek the ouster of Justice Adi” and that they were likely to take it up in the CLP meeting scheduled for Wednesday.
Published 23 November 2015, 20:11 IST