The BJP's Karnataka president B SYeddyurappa Wednesday demanded that Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy drop Backward Class Welfare Minister C PuttarangaShetty from the cabinet immediately, as huge amounts of cash had been seized from a clerk working in his office.
Yeddyurappa said "facts are open in front of everybody" and the minister should be dropped "without wasting any time" and an inquiry had to be conducted.
Questioning as to how a fair inquiry can take place with Puttaranaga Shetty in the cabinet, he told reporters in Shivamogga that it was the duty of a responsible government and the Chief Minister to drop him from the Ministry immediately.
He said the BJP has held state-wide protest on the issue.
"Immediately his resignation has to be taken (by the Chief Minister), fair inquiry has to happen and truthhas to come out," Yeddyurappa said.
Based on a tip-off, a typist identified as Mohan working in Puttaranga Shetty's office was caught with Rs 25.76lakh by police on Friday evening at Vidhana Soudha, thestate secretariat premises here.
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Mohan, who is currently being questioned by the Anti-Corruption Bureau, has claimed that he had collected the sum from four civil contractors.
Hard disk and certaindocuments have also been seized from him.
Sugesting that ACB inquiry will not help with the minister remaining in the post, Yeddyurappa said as the accused has given information about the money trail, Shetty has to be immediately removed from the cabinet.
Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy, however, had said he would wait for the police to complete the investigation before taking any action.
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