PSI recruitment scam: Siddaramaiah demands judicial inquiry headed by sitting HC Judge
Bengaluru, May 5: Accusing the BJP government at the Centre of supporting the "40 per cent commission government" in Karnataka, Leader of Opposition Siddaramaiah on Wednesday demanded a judicial inquiry, headed by a sitting High Court judge, into the alleged scam in the recruitment of police sub-inspectors (PSI).
He demanded also the resignation of Home Minister Araga Jnanendra and sacking of Higher Education Minister C N Ashwath Narayan in connection with the alleged scam.
"We demand judicial inquiry by a sitting High Court Judge into the PSI recruitment scam. Because the police, politicians, Ministers are involved in it, and truth will not come out, culprits will not be punished, as the CID is currently investigating into the scam," Siddaramaiah said.
Speaking to reporters here, he said an independent judicial inquiry is needed for the facts to come out.
"We demand also the resignation of Home Minister Araga Jnanendra, who has miserably failed. Further, we demand the sacking of C N Ashwath Narayan, the Higher Education Minister, as there are allegations against him...a scam has taken place in his department too with regard to selection of assistant professors," the former Chief Minister said.
Both of them are answerable and accountable to the people of Karnataka, and have no moral or legal right to continue as Ministers, he said, adding: "Our demand is that they should be sacked immediately. If they don't do it and entrust the matter with the judicial commission for investigation, we will go to the people's court."
Congress recently claimed that Narayan's brother was involved in rigging the police sub-inspectors' recruitment. The Minister, however, denied the allegation and said he would consider initiating legal action against the Congress leaders.
Recently, the State government decided to annul the examination that was held in October last year to recruit 545 police sub-inspectors in the State, and hold re-exams, following allegations of large- scale rigging or malpractices.
Hitting out at Union Home Minister Amit Shah and BJP national general secretary in-charge of Karnataka Arun Singh for praising Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai and the State government, Siddaramaiah said by doing so both have given a stamp of approval to the 40 per cent commission government.
The Bommai administration is being called a 40 per cent commission government and there are allegations of corruption by contractors' associations and swamijis, among others, he said. "The BJP government at the Centre is supporting this government. Contractors had written to the Prime Minister (Narendra Modi) with the 40 per cent commission charge against this government, yet he has not even sought information from the State."
Noting that the government's decision to annul examination and hold a re-exam, and transfer of senior official heading recruitment makes it clear that there is scam, he said about 28 people have till now been arrested in connection with the case, but no action has been taken or a case booked against senior official or politicians who are said to be involved.
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Congress using hijab issue to pacify minority anger, alleges Karnataka LoP R Ashoka
Bengaluru: Leader of Opposition in the Assembly R. Ashoka has accused the Congress government of using the hijab issue to placate what he described as discontent among minority voters after the Davanagere by-election.
In a post on X on Wednesday, Ashoka alleged that the state government, instead of addressing issues such as price rise, corruption, farmers’ distress and law and order, was attempting to retain its minority vote base by reviving the hijab issue.
Referring to the 2022 dress code introduced by the BJP government, which prohibited hijab in schools and colleges, Ashoka said the Karnataka High Court had upheld the policy and emphasised the importance of discipline in educational institutions.
He questioned the Congress government’s move to revisit the issue and asked whether setting aside the court-backed policy to benefit one community could be described as secularism.
Ashoka further alleged that while the government was willing to permit hijab, it continued to prohibit saffron shawls.
He accused the government of dividing students on religious lines rather than treating schools and colleges as spaces of equality.
Drawing a comparison with Mamata Banerjee’s government in West Bengal, Ashoka claimed that excessive appeasement politics had harmed the state and warned that the Congress in Karnataka could face a similar political response.
He said voters in Karnataka would teach the Congress a lesson for what he termed “vote-bank politics” and for compromising constitutional and judicial principles.
