"Governor Can Dismiss Any Minister,” Claims Shivakumar

From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network - Bangalore

Bangalore, May 15: Strongly defending the action of Karnataka Governor H R Bhardwaj in summoning the `all-powerful’ Bellary ministers for holding an inquiry into the Congress MLC K C Kondaiah`s charges on their alleged amassing wealth in Bellary district, KPCC Working President D K Shivakumar said the Governor has inherent constitutional powers to dismiss any minister.

"As per the Constitution, the Governor is the appointing authority and the Chief Minister and the entire Council of Ministers are sworn in by the Governor in exercise of the Constitutional powers,”  he said contending that the appointing authority can dismiss any of the ministers.

Addressing a news conference, he said Tourism and Infrastructure Minister Gali Janardhana Reddy had accepted the notice sent to him by the Governor and was bound to offer his clarifications.

"It is for the Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa to speak on the powers of the Governor and till then, the Bellary ministers should notmake sweeping remarks against the Governor,” he said

The Governor, according to the KPCC Working President, had issued notices to the ministers as part of his constitutional duties. ``An eminent legal luminary like Bhardwaj. who is well-versed in Constitutional powers and norms, and had served as a Union Law Minister, need not learn lessons from the Bellary ministers who are facing cases in the Supreme Court,” Shivakumar said.

He pointed out that the Congress party had also time and again demanded the Governor to act against illegal actions of the BJP government including that of some ministers. He said that it was the Governor who administers oath of office to the ministers and had to the powers to look into complaints against ministers.

On the Sri Rama Sene Chief Pramod Mutalik`s ‘rent a riot’ offer, the Congress leader said that it was the duty of the State Government to punish him and should think whether it should ban his organisation.

Taking exception to Mutalik`s complaint to Belgaum police, he said that sting operations had been conducted in the past too, but nobody had filed criminal cases against journalists.

He charged the State Government and the police with conniving with the Sri Rama Sene.

The police should take all the care to remove any threat to the peace and harmony in the state, he demanded.

A large number of Congress workers offered bouquets and garlanded him on his 49th birthday on Saturday.