Governor H R Bhardwaj on Monday accused the state government of adopting delaying tactics in appointment of a new Lokayukta to “whitewash” criminal cases and questioned the consultation process in recommending the name of S R Bannurmath to head the anti-corruption watchdog.
Asked if the government was indulging in deliberate delays, Bhardwaj told reporters, “This will be an explosive material if I speak about the motives. Is there any doubt about what Santosh (Hegde, a former Karnataka Lokayukta) said yesterday? All these is just to help those criminals.”
“If the Lokayukta comes and whitewashes these crimes, then what will you do?” he asked when asked if a “headless” Lokayukta would “help” the state government. Bhardwaj also alleged that the government had recently transferred “good officers” from the Lokayukta institution.
“And now they want to whitewash all these cases which have been brought out by the Commission (Lokaykta report on illegal mining),” he said.
The government had recommended the name of Bannurmath, a former Chief Justice of Kerala High Court, to head the Lokayukta but the Governor questioned the recommendation, citing allegations against Bannurmath that surfaced in sections of the media. The government in recent weeks indicated that it’s firm on its choice and maintained that there are no documents before it suggesting wrong-doing by Bannurmath.
“I don’t want to put on record wrong things about a former Chief Justice (Bannurmath). I will give you the Supreme Court judgement against the gentleman. But I don’t want to say publicly because he is a former Chief Justice. Government should earn a good reputation by giving another name,” Bhardwaj said. Bhardwaj said the government never considered the name proposed by Leaders of Opposition in the Legislative Assembly and Council and never pointedly asked for their opinion on Bannurmath.
The government never conveyed (to them) that they will appoint so and so. The consultation has to be effective, otherwise it’s a ritual, he said. “Call everybody (do the consultation process again). They want a meeting. It’s attitudinal change that’s required,” he said, adding, “I am determined to see a proper man succeed Hegde. That’s it.”
“Delay is not because of me. Delay is when you don’t appoint a proper person in a proper place. It’s their (government’s) reputation that is suffering. If they say we insist on this man, that itself is not a good matter,” the governor said. He claimed that Chief Minister D V Sadananda Gowda was under “certain compulsions” to insist on Bannurmath, indirectly referring to former Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa.