BJP demands resignation of Anjaneya's over bribery charges

BJP members in the Legislative Assembly vociferously demanded the resignation of Social Welfare Minister H Anjaneya following allegations that his wife had accepted bribe from contractors for supplying food to hostels.

As soon as the House assembled on Thursday, leader of the Opposition Jagadish Shettar demanded that he be allowed to move an adjornment motion seeking the resignation of Anjaneya. “The sting operation by a TV channel points to bribe being sought at the residence of the minister and a department official being directly involved,” Shettar said.
Anjaneya should voluntarily tender his resignation on moral grounds, he added.

Industries Minister R V Deshpande said the government had already ordered a CID probe into the incident and the issue cannot be discussed in the House as it would interfere with the investigation.

Shettar said the BJP did not have anything personal against Anjaneya and he could rejoin the Cabinet if he came out clean. Suresh Kumar (BJP), reading out the rules and procedure book of the Assembly, pointed out that the House cannot take up matters being adjudicated by courts and the judicial commission and that the Anjaneya issue did not fall in the two categories.

The House witnessed noisy scenes and heated arguments between the Congress and the BJP members when Shettar wondered what had happened to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s promise of transparent administration. The BJP members trooped into the well of the House and staged a dharna. Speaker Kagodu Thimmappa adjourned the House for a few minutes.

When the House reassembled, Thimmappa said he would allow the BJP to raise the Anjaneya issue, but only after the government’s reply to discussions on the drought situation and the law and order scene in the State.

However, the BJP members insisted that the matter be taken up immediately and continued with their dharna. Minister of State for Agriculture, Krishna Byre Gowda, furnished the government’s reply on the drought situation in the State, but nothing could be heard in the din with the BJP members shouting slogans at the top of their voice. “Shame Shame”, “Congress’ march towards corruption”, went the slogans.

Siddaramaiah tabled the supplementary estimates and two bills were passed without any discussion amid the din. Thimmappa adjourned the House again, but with the BJP members unrelenting and sticking to their demand, he adjourned the House for the day.

Gram Swaraj Bill passed in a jiffy

It may have taken nearly two years to prepare the Gram Swaraj and Panchayat Raj Bill 2015, but the Legislative Assembly took only two minutes to pass the legislation – without any discussion.

The bill, which provides for comprehensive changes in the panchayat raj system, was prepared on the recommendations of a committee headed by former Speaker Ramesh Kumar. The bill was taken up and put to vote even as the BJP members were staging a dharna in the well of the House demanding the resignation of Minister H Anjaneya.

The provision of the bill seeks to strengthen the panchayat system by delegating greater administrative and financial powers to them. It also provides powers to prepare their own development plan under the bottom-to-top approach.