The factional feud within the ruling Janata Dal (JD) has claimed the scalp of higher education minister B Somashekhar on the flimsy grounds that he had allegedly indulged in copying in a law examination two decades ago.
Somashekhar, who submitted his papers to Chief Minister JH Patel on Tuesday, has totally denied the allegations of his having copied in law exams in 1978. Incidentally, he is the third dalit minister to bow out of office in the recent past.
Confirming that the higher education minister had tendered his resignation, Chief Minister Patel said: I have sought the opinion of the advocate-general whether the minister has to resign when there is an inquiry.
He said: Other legal issues are being looked into by the law ministry and I will take a decision on accepting or rejecting the resignation after a close scrutiny of issues involved.
Somashekhar a staunch Hegde loyalist had resigned earlier from the Hegde ministry following a Lokayukta inquiry into a land allotment issue. The Lokayukta, subsequently, had found the allegation to be untrue.
The allegation of copying, which was never made earlier during his two stints as a minister, surfaced a few months ago when the minister used an ironhand to crush a strike by teachers and lecturers who had boycotted the valuation of answer papers of pre-University examinations.
Exploiting the opportunity, Somashekhars detractors within the party had mounted pressure on him ever since the state legislature session commenced ten days ago.
In response, On moral grounds, that is, not to hold the office when a judicial; inquiry has been instituted on allegations against me, I have submitted my resignation to my leader, was all that Somashekhar had to say.
However, he told Business Standard: The hidden hand of vested interests, including those from within the party, could be seen in the whipping up of a non-issue. He maintained that he never stooped to copying or any such thing , a stand contested by his room mate and Communist Party of India (Marxist) legislator G Sreerama Reddy.
Janata Dal insiders believe the campaign to oust Somashekhar was launched by an HD Deve Gowda (former prime minister) loyalist in the party as he was growing in stature in the Vokalliga-dominated Mandya district through his work and straightforwardness. Deve Gowda has never forgiven Somashekhar for the latters act of openly criticising the expulsion of heavyweight RK Hegde and the minister was not even invited for various functions organised by universities.
In the state whenever Deve Gowda had participated in them, they say.
The Dalit organisation and a few members of the Bangalore University senate have decided to launch a statewide agitation to protest against the systematic manner in which dalit and minority leaders are being eased out of the state ministry. Announcing this, Dalit Sangharsh Samiti leader DM Thimmarayappa said: We will not rest until we expose the agenda of the upper castes to politically finish dalits and minorities.
The first dalit minister to bow out of office since January 1995 when Deve Gowda had formed the JD ministry was Ms Lalita Naik, whose son allegedly was part of a group of students who had poured liquor on the statue of Dr Ambedkar.
Later KB Shanappa another dalit leader was forced out of office in the wake of a conspiracy hatched to ensure that the minister did not get elected to either of the two houses of the legislature. Earlier, a minority leader, Mirajuddin Patel, was forced to quit the Gowda ministry following allegations that his close aides had stored liquor during the Lok Sabha polls.
