BJP warns of stir if Rangappa made higher edu advisor

BJP on Tuesday warned Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy that the party will stage protests if he went ahead and appointed academician K S Rangappa as the Higher Education advisor.

Addressing reporters here, MLC N Ravi Kumar and former legislator G Madhusudhan said it was speculated that Kumaraswamy might appoint Rangappa as either the chairperson of the Karnataka State Higher Education Council or as his special officer in charge of higher education, with a Cabinet rank.

Citing that Rangappa was facing several charges including those of corruption, nepotism, plagiarism and malpractice during his tenure as the vice chancellor of the Karnataka State Open University (KSOU) and University of Mysore (UoM); the BJP leaders said Rangappa was solely responsible for bringing disrepute to both varsities. They also recalled that Rangappa had been indicted by the one-man fact-finding committee of Justice Bhaktavatsala for the several irregularities during his tenure as the KSOU VC, following which criminal charges had been filed against him.

Madhusudan said the KSOU had been in “coma” for the last five years because of the “misdeeds” by Rangappa and his successor M G Krishnan.

“If Kumaraswamy appoints Rangappa as his advisor, then the BJP will stage protests both inside and outside the legislature,” cautioned Ravi Kumar.

He said it would be hypocritical on part of Kumaraswamy if he appointed Rangappa, as he had objected to former chief minister Siddaramaiah appointing retired IPS officer Kempaiah as his advisor.