HC order on ACB: BJP demands apology from Siddaramaiah, Congress

India

oi-Deepika S

Bengaluru, Aug 14:
Minister
of
State
for
Electronics
and
IT
Rajeev
Chandrasekhar
has
welcomed
Karnataka
High
Court’s
landmark
verdict
nullifying
the
formation
of
Anti-Corruption
Bureau
(ACB)
and
demanded
a
public
apology
from
Congress
and
Siddaramaiah
for
having
created
toothless
agency
which
defeat
the
very
purpose
of
the
Prevention
of
Corruption
Act
by
withdrawing
the
investigation
powers
of
the
Lokayukta
police.

BJP
leader
Rajeev
Chandrasekhar,
who
was
at
the
forefront
of
attacking
the
Congress
said
alleged
by
curtailing
Lokayukta’s
powers,
the
then
Congress
Government
headed
by
Siddaramaiah
constituted
ACB
with
a
sole
intention
of
protecting
himself
and
his
ministers
from
many
corruption
charges.

“Toothless
ACB
–
ACB
was
never
an
independent
investigative
body;
it
worked
under
the
authority
of
the
Chief
Minister.
No
serving
officers
would
be
in
a
position
to
conduct
an
inquiry
against
the
Chief
Minister
under
whom
they
would
be
working
as
subordinates,”
he
said.

“When
the
Lokayukta
police,
duly
constituted
on
the
strength
of
Karnataka
Lokayukta
Act,
what
the
then
Congress
government
did
was
not
justified
in
constituting
the
ACB
by
way
of
an
executive
order.
The
impugned
government
order
and
the
subsequent
supporting
notifications
were
contrary
to
the
very
object
of
the
Karnataka
Lokayukta,”
he
added.

“Under
Siddaramaiah
led
Congress
government,
the
final
blow
to
Namma
Bengaluru
and
Karnataka
came
in
the
form
of
an
ill-conceived
Anti-Corruption
Bureau
(ACB).
The
Congress
Government
which
made
tall
promises
of
a
corruption-free
administration,
was
managed
to
disrupt
and
undermine
the
functioning
of
the
Lokayukta
by
setting
up
the
ACB.
The
ACB
was
a
corrupt
attempt
to
weaken
the
Parliament
sanctioned
institution
of
Lokayukta,”
he
further
added.

“From
day
one,
I
opposed
the
unethical
executive
order
by
Siddaramaiah
government
which
reduced
most
powerful
Karnataka
Lokayukta
in
to
a
toothless
tiger.
Opposing
rampant
corrupt
does
of,
including
IT
Raids
and
Steel
Flyover
project.
I
had
approached
Karnataka
Lokayukta
opposing
Steel
Flyover
project
too.
(Letter
dt:
February
16,
2017
and
March
20,
2017),”
Rajeev
Chandrashekar
said.

“Congress
and
Siddaramaiah
should
immediately
apologise
to
the
people
of
Karnataka
for
having
created
toothless
ACB
which
defeat
the
very
purpose
of
the
Prevention
of
Corruption
Act
by
withdrawing
the
investigation
powers
of
the
Lokayukta
police
under
the
PC
Act
and
extending
it
to
ACB,”
he
said.

“Our
BJP
Government
headed
by
Shri
Basavaraj
Bommai
will
take
necessary
action
on
strengthening
the
Lokayukta,
on
the
basis
of
our
party
manifesto,”
he
concluded.