Daijiworld Media Network -Bengaluru (SP)

Bengaluru, Jan 1: The order appointing police officer-turned-politician, G A Bawa, as head of Karnataka State Minorities Commission has been withheld. The Congress wants to appoint former minister, A M Hindasgeri, as chief of the commission, it is gathered.

The governor had issued orders on May 28, appointing Bawa as head of the said commission. It is learnt that All India Congress Committee president, Rahul Gandhi, had promised Hindasgeri post of president of minorities commission, as the party could not issue him a ticket for Lok Sabha election. It is said that accordingly, Rahul had issued instructions to Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president, Dinesh Gundu Rao, to recommend the name of Hindasgeri to the post. Gundu Rao reportedly concealed the fact that he had received this instruction. He instead asked the government to make Bawa the president of the minorities commission. As per the recommendation, governor, Vajubhai Vala, had appointed Bawa to the post.

Bawa had decided to take charge of the new post at 4 pm on Friday. He had also extended invitations to the press for the function, but at the last moment he conveyed information that the function to take charge had been postponed.

It is said that Rahul wanted to give representation to north Karnataka by making Hindasgeri the president of the commission. President of KPCC campaign committee, H K Patil, brought to the notice of K C Venugopal about Rahul Gandhi's instructions having been kept under wraps. H K Patil has urged Venugopal to direct the KPCC president to withdraw the name of Bawa and recommend the name of Hindasgeri to the commission in his place, it is gathered.