Bangalore: Finally, Bopaiah Accepts Sriramulu's Resignation

From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network - Bangalore

Bangalore, Oct 13: Finally, Karnataka Legislative Assembly Speaker K G Bopaiah has accepted the resignation of former Health Minister and close associate of Bellary mining barons Reddy brothers, B Sriramulu as a member of the State Legislative Assembly.

According to highly placed sources in the State Secretariat, the Speaker has accepted the resignation of Sriramulu on Thursday.

File photo of Sriramulu submitting his resignation to Speaker

Sriramulu, who was denied a ministerial berth along with the Bellary Reddy brothers after being specifically named by the former Lokayukta Justice Santosh Hegde in his final report submitted to the State Government on illegal mining in the State following the resignation of former Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa and his replacement by Udupi-Chikmagalur Lok Sabha member D V Sadananda Gowda, had announced his decision to quit the Assembly on September 4.

Sriramulu went all the way to Madikeri to Bopaiah’s residence and waited for him for hours together to personally submit the resignation letter.

However, the Speaker had not accepted the resignation and had sought clarifications from the former minister.

Sriramulu, however, had repeatedly declared even in public platforms that he would not withdraw his resignation. His supporters, however, had demanded that the Speaker should not accept the resignation and that Sriramulu should be inducted in the Sadananda Gowda cabinet.

But the State Advocate General B V Acharya had, in informed the State Government in writing that Sriramulu could not be inducted into the cabinet as he was specifically indicted by the Lokayukta report besides recommending that action should be taken against Sriramulu and the Bellary mining lords, G Janardhana Reddy and G Karunakara Reddy, who were cabinet ministers in the Yeddyurappa team.

Sriramulu represented the Bellary rural constituency in iron-ore rich Bellary district.

Before submitting his resignation, Sriramulu addressed a largely attended news conference at the five-star Hotel Lalith Ashok to announce his resignation. He had said: “I am mentally disturbed. I am resigning from the Assembly as my image has been damaged following the Lokayukta report.”