From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network
Bengaluru, Sep 23: JD(S) floor leader in the State Assembly and former chief minister H D Kumaraswamy has demanded the resignation of Higher Education Minister Dr C N Ashwath Narayan over the alleged irregularities and hasty manner in which the BMS Education Trust was favoured.
The JD(S) leader, who raised the issue in the State Legislative Assembly and placed all the documents pertaining to the alleged irregularities in the BMS Trust, has also demanded a high-level probe into the entire scam and urged the State Government to take immediate steps to confiscate the assets of the Trust.
“I have placed all documents in Legislative Assembly. Those documents speak for themselves. Then how is it the bullet I fired failed? A conspiracy is being hatched to make it fail,” Kumaraswamy said and alleged that the Higher Education Minister has quietly transferring government property worth thousands of crores to real estate vested interests and wondered how it could be as per law.
The Higher Education Minister must read the original trust deed when BMS trust got registered in 1957. Know conditions for donor trust and life trustee. But, you are shamelessly arguing on behalf of the trust that is looting the property belonged to the government and public, he said.
“Does implementing new education policy means handing over government property to land sharks? Is it facilitating looters to swallow Dodda Basavanna and Karanji Sri Anjaneya temple property belonging to Muzarai department? What kind of education policy or religious policy is this? You claim lot of measures have been initiated to reform education in your tenure. Does reform mean stealthily giving away public trust properties? Is this the concept of Vishwaguru taught by Prime Minister Narendra Modi? Is this the way to improve education sector,” he asked.
Kumaraswamy pointed out that his government in 2018 flatly rejected BMS trust’s amended proposal of donor trustee and life trustee as such changes were illegal. “After my government, how is it that the current government gave approval at a lightening speed? What is the conspiracy behind not acting on the letters of government trustees and IAS officers Dr Manjula and another retd IAS officer Madangopal highlighting irregularities in the trust.’’
“I know the speed and concern show by you to regularise illegal amendments made by the trust. Ashwath Narayan, read the note written by you on the file. It shows how high are the low levels of Higher Education Minister,” he said.