Bengaluru: Joining “Lokayukta Hatao” chorus, Congress party's senior leaders and close associates of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah – V.S. Ugrappa, H. M. Revanna and A. Manju – on Sunday appealed to the Lokyukta, Justice Y. Bhaskar Rao, to resign. They also asserted that it is the right time to bring the UPA's Lokpal Bill that was passed in 2013.
Speaking to reporters, Mr Ugrappa said that not only Justice Rao, but Lokayukta PRO Syed Riyaz and Upalokayukta Subhash B. Adi should also resign. “The multi-crore scandal has shaken the faith in this institution. All three are equally responsible for the demolishing this faith,” he said.
He said that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah should seriously consider tabling the Lokpal Bill in the state. “It was passed in Parliament in 2013 after Anna Hazare led anti-corruption movement forced both Houses to pass the bill,” he said.
Training his guns on Justice Adi, Mr Ugrappa alleged that he was elevated to the Upalokayukta position only after he granted bail to then Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyruappa, who was jailed in corruption cases. “There are also many other complaints against Justice Adi. He has shown undue interest in issues related to Dr Sheela Patil, who is a close relative of Assembly opposition leader Jagadish Shettar. Dr Patil was facing serious charges of stealing drugs from KIMS Hospital, Hubballi and keeping them in her husband's hospital, Mrytunjaya Hospital in Hubballi,” he alleged.
Justice Adi helped Dr Patil by ensuring that her files disappeared from the Lokayukta office premises. “This is a major scandal. These are not my allegation, but of other Upaloakyukta Justice S.B. Majage, who retired recently. Justice Majage had written about it to the Lokayukta. Everybody in the Lokyukta is a suspect now. The institution should be disbanded and the state government should think of setting up the Lokpal in the state,” he said.
