After weeks of suspense, and pressure from the Opposition in Karnataka, Bengaluru Development minister KJ George has resigned.
The resignation comes after a JMFC court in Kodagu asked the Karnataka police on Monday to register an FIR against George in a case related to the suicide of MK Ganapati, a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DySP) rank officer. Ganapati, who had been serving in Mangaluru, had complained of political harassment and committed suicide in a Madikeri lodge recently.
This was followed by the suicide of another DySP-rank officer Kallappa Handibag, who was suspended following charges of kidnap and extortion in Chikmagalur.
As George was named by Ganapati in a television interview prior to his death, Opposition parties BJP and JD(S) had come together calling for the Minister’s resignation, also disrupting the ongoing Assembly session.
These developments had led to an administrative paralysis setting in as the Siddaramaih-led Congress government was bent on protecting George.
A couple of months ago, the State was also rocked by the sudden resignation of Anupama Shenoy, DySP of the Kudlgi Sub-division in Ballari district. She had blamed constant political interference by the district in-charge Minister.
All these developments have happened just when everybody thought the Siddaramaiah government would get down to work after a thorough Cabinet reshuffle. The government is due to face has Assembly elections in 2018.
Key Bills passedWith the refusing to sack George, the Opposition had been disrupting Assembly sessions, and not allowing the conduct of business.
On Monday, the State government decided to cut short the Assembly session, and quickly adopted two important Appropriation Bills seeking to authorise payment and appropriation of additional sums of money from the Consolidated Fund for various services.
While the Karnataka Appropriation (No 2) Bill seeks to pay ₹1.72-lakh crore towards various services, the Karnataka Appropriation (No 3) Bill authorises the payment of ₹2,916.42 crore. Both Bills were adopted without any discussion amidst dharna by Opposition MLAs demanding the resignation of George.
They were demanding that George be named as one of the accused in the suicide case. The government has moved in to initiate a judicial probe to be headed by Justice KN Keshavanarayana. The probe is to submit its report in six months.