Bengaluru: The proceedings of the Legislative Council were washed out on Monday as the BJP and Janata Dal(S) legislators staged a dharna demanding the resignation of Bengaluru Urban Development Minister, K J George, who has been accused of harassing and driving Mangaluru DySP M.K. Ganapati to suicide last week.
Leader of the Opposition, K S Eshwarappa moved an adjournment motion as soon as the House met for the day, demanding a discussion into the DySP's death.
Arguing that the television interview given by Mr Ganapati just a few hours before hanging himself was reason enough for the government to drop Mr George from the Council of Ministers, he regretted it was instead trying to shield the minister by claiming the DySP was being treated for depression.
He also came down hard on the police station in Kodagu district for refusing to take a complaint from the officer’s widow, Pavana and her children, forcing them to stage a dharna in front of it.
Charging the government with hushing up the case, Mr Eshwarappa said his party would not to allow the House to function until Chief Minister Siddaramaiah demanded Mr George's resignation and withdrew the statement that the senior police officer had committed suicide due to depression.
Health and Family Welfare Minister K R Ramesh Kumar responded saying the government too sympathised with the late officer’s family, but was not ready to come to any conclusion till the inquiry was completed.
“The Inquiry Officer is looking into the matter from all angles. No one, including the government, has the authority to direct the IO to slant the inquiry in any direction. I am not in favour of officers being at the mercy of politicians and dancing to their tunes. There is no dearth of good officers in the state, but their morale should not be affected," he said, adding that the opposition was free to hand over any documentary evidence they had to the investigating agency.
