Karnataka Assembly: Speaker resorts to wait and see on Lokayukta issue

Says it's a delicate matter that needs to be handled carefully after looking into the legal and constitutional points of view

The efforts by the Opposition Bharatiya Janata Party and Janata Dal (S) in the House on Monday to pressurise Assembly Speaker Kagodu Timmappa on a discussion regarding removal of Lokayukta Y Bhaskar Rao had to be foiled up as the Speaker refused to take any hasty decisions.

According to Timmappa, it was a delicate matter that needs to be handled carefully after looking into the legal and constitutional points of view. He said it was necessary for him to consult the Business Advisory Committee before taking any decision on allowing the discussion.

However, the Speaker was non-committal on when he would allow the discussion. Earlier the day, 57 members of the BJP, JD(S), BSR Congress and Karnataka Janata Party who had given a signed letter to the Speaker on July 3, urged the Speaker to grant permission to discuss the issue of 'impeaching' the Lokayukta under Section 6 of the Lokayukta Act 1984, after Lokayukta Y Bhaskar Rao's son, Ashwin Rao, was alleged to be involved in corrupt practices.

The Opposition members accused the Congress government of being complacent in taking action against the Lokayukta even as people from various organisations across the state were demanding his ouster. "The government has expressed its helplessness. The delay in taking a decision has raised questions if the watch dog against corruption could be freed of such people. Government officials are allegedly involved in the scam and the chair should give the Opposition the permission to discuss the issue," they said.

JD(S) floor leader H D Kumaraswamy and Y S V Datta also demanded the Speaker to permit discussion on the issue today itself.

It has been alleged that Ashwin Rao had been threatening top government officials of Lokayukta raids on them and received huge sums in return. The case came to light after an executive engineer of Bengaluru Urban had complained to Lokayukta police about the alleged extortion and threats by the Lokayukta's son.

The state government has constituted a Special Investigation Team headed by ADGP (Prisons) Kamal Panth to probe into the issue and submit a report. Meanwhile, the Lokayukta police have filed an FIR against Ashwin.