Lokayukta weakened to shield Siddaramaiah, says Shettar

 BJP leader Jagadish Shettar on Thursday charged Chief Minister Siddaramaiah with weakening the Lokayukta in order to protect himself and his tainted ministerial colleagues.

Addressing reporters, he said a case pertaining to the deletion of BDA lands meant for Arkavathy Layout was lodged against the chief minister with the Lokayukta. Six of his ministerial colleagues were also facing corruption charges. Siddaramaiah, therefore, took away all the powers of the Lokayukta and set up an Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB), he added.

The ACB has to function under a vigilance wing headed by an IAS officer. The wing will be answerable to the chief minister through the chief secretary. “The ACB will be a puppet in the hands of Siddaramaiah. The chief minister has made the Lokayukta a defunct body, Shettar, who is also leader of the Opposition in Legislative Assembly, said, adding that his party would protest the government’s decision in the coming budget session of the legislature.

The chief minister has been citing a Supreme Court order for setting up the ACB. The apex court order came way back in 1998. The court order was just an excuse. The actual reason for taking away the powers of the Lokayukta was the fear of getting caught in corruption cases, he said.

He also accused the government of failing to prevent increasing attacks on pro-Hindu activists in the State. The government should order a judicial probe into the murder of a BJP activist in Mysuru recently and give Rs 25 lakh as ex gratia to his family members, he demanded.