BJP seeks minister’s dismissal over seizure of cash from clerk

Team Udayavani, Jan 10, 2019, 4:35 AM IST

Shivamogga:  BJP’s Karnataka president B S Yeddyurappa on Wednesday, January 9 demanded that Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy should drop Backward Class Welfare Minister C PuttarangaShetty from the cabinet immediately, as huge amounts of cash had been seized from a clerk working in his office.

Yeddyurappa said, “facts are open in front of everybody, the minister should be dropped without wasting any time and an inquiry had to be conducted.”

Questioning as to how a fair inquiry can take place with Puttaranaga Shetty in the cabinet, he told reporters that it was the duty of a responsible government and the Chief Minister to drop him from the Ministry immediately. He also said that the BJP has held state-wide protest on the issue.

“Immediately his resignation has to be taken by the Chief Minister, fair inquiry has to happen and truth has to come out,” Yeddyurappa said.

Based on a tip-off, a typist identified as Mohan working in Puttaranga Shetty’s office was caught with Rs 25.76lakh by police on Friday evening at Vidhana Soudha, the state secretariat premises here. Mohan, who is currently being questioned by the Anti-Corruption Bureau, has claimed that he had collected the sum from four civil contractors. Hard disk and certain documents have also been seized from him.

Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy, however, had said he would wait for the police to complete the investigation before taking any action.