Opposition begins overnight dharna in Vidhana Soudha demanding Excise Minister’s resignation

The BJP and the JD(S) MLAs began an overnight sleep-in protestation connected Tuesday wrong the Vidhana Soudha demanding the resignation of Excise Minister R.B. Thimmapur implicit the alleged corruption ungraded successful his department. 

Earlier successful the day, Leader of Opposition R. Ashok alleged that determination was corruption to the tune of ₹6,000 crore successful the department, referring to a missive by Guruswamy, president, Karnataka Wine Merchants’ Association, an Excise authoritative being trapped by the Lokayukta constabulary recently, and a purported audio speech betwixt an Excise authoritative and a lawyer. 

However, the authorities pushed backmost and adjacent Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said determination was nary request for the Minister to resign based connected specified allegations.

Mr. Thimmapur said that respective erstwhile Excise Ministers besides faced allegations of corruption and they were often made by vested interests. He claimed that helium had brought successful respective reforms successful the section to bring successful transparency, and denied allegations of corruption. He tried to region himself from the allegations and claimed that immoderate officials were successful the incorrect and they had tried to misuse his name, referring to the audio clip successful question. He said the serviceman was suspended. 

Audio tape

Mr. Ashok work retired the transcript of an audio signaling of a speech betwixt Excise Joint Commissioner Nagarajappa and a lawyer named Ramesh, successful which determination is simply a request for ₹18 lakh for mounting up a caller vino store. “The audio says that bribes volition beryllium passed connected to Mr. Thimmapur and his lad Vinay. It is said that to trim the bribe, 1 has to talk straight to the Minister,” Mr. Ashok said.

The notation to the portion of the audio successful which a elder Excise authoritative purportedly suggests to the applicant to conscionable the Chief Minister oregon his lad to get a caller liquor vending licence, created a flutter successful the Assembly. 

A ailment successful this respect had besides been filed earlier the Lokayukta and an Excise Department authoritative had adjacent made a connection connected the corruption successful the section earlier the Lokayukta, Mr. Ashok pointed out. He wondered wherefore the audio signaling was not sent to the FSL to verify the authenticity.

He besides alleged that the bribes collected were uncovering its mode to money elections successful different States. He said the Congress authorities was obliged to nonstop wealth to Kerala and Tamil Nadu.

Wait till probe

Senior Minister K.H. Muniyappa suggested that since the lawsuit was nether probe by the Lokayukta, demanding resignation of the Minister astatine this signifier was unfair. “Let the probe beryllium completed and based connected the findings, the adjacent people of enactment volition beryllium taken,” helium said.

Mr. Thimmapur took objection and said determination was nary lawsuit against him and the lawsuit successful Lokayukta lone pertained to officials. 

Multiple Ministers including Priyank Kharge, Dinesh Gundu Rao and Sharan Prakash Patil defended Mr. Thimmapur and pointed retired allegations of corruption during the BJP authorities and instances erstwhile the Ministers did not resign.

The BJP members pointed retired instances of Ministers Nagesh and K.S. Eshwarappa resigning implicit corruption allegations.