BJP legislator’s bribery charge against CM puts Karnataka coalition on back-foot

The recent transfer of Pankaj Thakur, a Superintendent of Police from the mining district of Bellary in Karnataka, has snowballed into a major crisis for the coalition Government.

A BJP legislator Janardhan Reddy, who praised the police official for cracking down on illegal mining in the district, triggered discord among the coalition partners when he publicly claimed that the mine-owners had paid off Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy through Forest Minister C Chennigappa.

Reddy claimed that the mine-owners of Bellary had paid a whopping Rs 1.5 billion to the Chief Minister through Chennigappa to secure the transfer of Panjak Thakur, who had not only become a thorn in the flesh of illegal mining activity, but also the scourge of newly inducted Minister for Home M P Prakash.

The BJP legislator’s bribery charge has not only embarrassed the Chief Minister, but also provided cannon fodder for the Opposition Congress during the ensuing session of the State Legislature.

Even as the Opposition is holding up the proceedings of the Legislature by insisting on a CBI probe into the bribery charges, the BJP legislator Janardhan Reddy has become conspicuous by his absence, both at the state legislature as well as at party functions.

Amidst growing demands for the Chief Minister’s resignation on account of the bribery charges, the JD (S) and BJP convened a joint meeting of the two legislature parties at a star hotel in Bangalore on Wednesday night to hammer out the thorny issue and project a united face. But, Mr Janardhan Reddy remained elusive. So was the BJP’s state unit President Sadanand Gowda.

Senior BJP leaders in Karnataka are understood to have brought immense pressure on Janardhan Reddy to retract his allegation against the Chief Minister. But, Reddy, who had claimed to possess documentary proof on the bribery charges, remained firm. In view of the absence of support to his “cause” from the party leaders in Karnataka, Reddy is believed to have air-dashed to New Delhi to consult with party’s central leaders on the issue.

Meanwhile, the Opposition Congress has apprehended a threat to the life of the Janardhan Reddy and sought adequate police protection to him. Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Council H K Patil raised the issue during the proceedings of the Legislative Council and urged the Chairman to provide police protection to Janardhan Reddy.