Lokayukta Y Bhaskar Rao's removal: State hides behind 'legal consultations'

BENGALURU: The Karnataka Legislature did not move forward on the issue of Lokayukta Y Bhaskar Rao's removal on Monday . While chief minister Siddaramaiah held that further "legal consultation" was needed before such action, the joint business advisory committee (BAC) could not decide on how many members needed to support such a motion.

This, despite opposition parties BJP and JD(S) making a strong plea to move a motion in both Houses for his removal.

Advocate general Ravivarma Kumar reportedly told the BAC that 100 members of the Legislative Assembly and 50 members of the Legislative Council had to sign the motion for it to come up in the Houses.

The combined opposition in the Legislative Assembly has 84 members while they have 30 in the Legislative Council. As per the AG's assessment, unless the ruling Congress party supports the motion, it cannot be taken up by the Houses.

Siddaramaiah did not comment on whether the Congress was inclined to take up the motion. Instead, he told the media after the BAC meeting that Speaker Kagodu Thimmappa would go for "wider consultations" with legal experts, before taking the matter forward.

JD(S) leader H D Kumaraswamy said: "We will raise it again Tuesday. We want the Lokayukta's removal, but the Act seems to protect him as no one anticipated such a situation.We need to make some changes in this law to deal with this situation and we feel the government is backing down on the matter."

Meanwhile, a source in the Lokayukta office told ET: "He (Justice Rao) has been saying goodbye and namaste to us everyday since the controversy broke out. Today, he was more flamboyant about it. We do not know what it means." The Karnataka Bar Council too stepped up the pressure for Justice Rao's removal, its president even claiming that he has documents to prove his involvement.

IPS officers Soumendu Mukherjee and Labhu Ram would be part of the SIT headed by Kamal Pant.