Bengaluru, May 24 (DHNS): Former Lok-ayukta Justice Santosh Hegde and president of the Anti-Land Grabbing Struggle Committee A T Ramaswamy on Monday criticised Social Welfare Minister H Anjaneya for his statement regarding former chairman of the KarnataPublic Service Commission Gonal Bhimappa.

Anjaneya had, on Sunday, said that the government would protect Bhimappa, who is facing a CID probe on charges of corruption in the selection of gazetted probationers.

“A minister has given a statement that relatives who indulged in corruption will be protected and that there is no need to fear anyone till they are in power,” said Justice Hegde, on the sidelines of a book release function organised in the city. By giving such statements, the minister was encouraging corruption, the former Lokayukta said.

Haven for corrupt

Ramaswamy said that the state had become a haven for the corrupt and that the politicians and the heads of mutts had no moral right to speak on the issue of corruption.

Umashree defends minister

Kannada and Culture Minister Umashree on Monday defended her cabinet colleague H Anjaneya over his controversial statement on private school managements, saying that his intentions were good. Speaking to reporters in Bengaluru, she said Anjaneya’s intentions were good, but the words he used were wrong. The social welfare minister meant to say that educational institutions should render service to all sections and not discriminate against people.

Asked about Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s plans to reshuffle the cabinet, she said that she had discharged her duties and responsibilities given by the party to the best of her abilities and that she would continue to do so in the coming days.