From Special Correspondent

Daijiworld Media Network

Bengaluru, Jan 5: A day after VidhanaSoudha security police caught Backward Classes Minister C PuttarangaSetty’s personal assistant with Rs 25.76 lakh in cash in a bag, the JD(S)-Congress government headed by Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy finds itself in an embarrassing situation with senior JD(S) leader Basavaraja Horatti joining the opposition BJP’s demand for the minister’s resignation.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Kumaraswamy said he would take necessary action after receiving the report of the police investigation.

"Let the investigation be completed and I will study the probe report," he said. However, Congress party has demanded the dismissal of the employee immediately.

Basavaraja Horatti

JD(S) leader Horatti said: “When a minister faced any allegation, one should first step down to allow the inquiry to get completed and if given clean chit he or she should be reinstated.”

"The minister should immediately step down on moral grounds," Horatti said.

But Congress-JD(S) Coalition’s Coordination Committee Chairman and former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah demanded dismissal of the employee Mohan who was working in the Minister’s office.

BJP leaders Jagadish Shettar and B S Yeddyurappa, both former Chief Ministers, demanded the resignation of the Minister.
Kumaraswamy said he would wait for the Police to complete the investigation before taking any action.

State Congress president Dinesh Gundu Rao compared seizure of cash Rs 25.76 lakh to the Rafale deal and said the amount was nothing before the alleged loot of Rs 30,000 crore in the Rafale deal by the NDA government.

Leader of the Opposition Yeddyurappa said corruption was rampant in the coalition government, particularly in transfers of officials and clearance of files.

“Now there is 20% commission in coalition government,” Yeddyurappa said and the seizure of the huge amount of cash in Rs 2,000 notes was proof of the money changing hands even in the VidhanaSoudha.