Dinesh Gundu Rao, executive president of Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC), defended the State government’s decision to appoint Sham Bhatt as the chairman of Karnataka Public Service Commission (KPSC).
Responding to questions by presspersons during his visit to Ballari to address party workers on Wednesday, Mr. Rao said if Mr. Bhatt was a ‘controversial’ person, Governor Vajubhai R. Vala would not have cleared his name. “Allegations are being levelled against Mr. Bhatt but where is the evidence against him,” he questioned.
On the future of the former Minister K.J. George, Mr. Rao said he need not have resigned from the Cabinet. “In order to avoid embarrassment to the party, that too, only after the court directive to lodge a First Information Report (FIR) against him in connection with Dy.SP M.K. Ganapathy’s suicide, did Mr. George volunteer to step down. Let the Criminal Investigation Department give its report and if he gets a clean chit, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah will take a decision on re-inducting him,” he said.
Mr. Rao said BJP claimed it would bag 150 seats in the next elections owing to lack of confidence among its leaders. He pointed out that there was no unity in BJP. He added that senior leaders including B.S. Yeddyurappa, State unit president, and K.S. Eshwarappa, Leader of the Opposition in the legislative Council, were pulling people in different directions.
Mr. Rao said the high command will decide on the issue of changing the president of KPCC. Meanwhile, efforts were on to strengthen the party by reconstituting the State committee and also sensitise the district and block units to work in tandem. He said the party would not hesitate to initiate action against all those who indulged in anti-party activities and were inactive.
