Bangalore: Karnataka Chief Minister DV Sadananda Gowda on Wednesday indirectly blamed Governor H R Bhardwaj for delay
in the appointment of Lokayukta asserting Government has
followed precedents and the ball was in his court.
"The ball is in the court of the Governor", Gowda said in
the Assembly, where JDS leader H D Revanna sought to move an
adjournment motion alleging that government was deliberately
adopting delaying tactics in the appointment of Lokayukta.
The Governor, however, said today Gowda was "responding
well to appoint a spotless judge as the new Lokayukta."
"I will not take even a minute to ratify the appointment
of a judge as Lokayukta if people of the state and the press
have faith in him," Bhardwaj told reporters but added he was
in no hurry to address the issue as he despised bothering the
Chief Minister when the assembly session was underway.
The Lokayukta post is vacant after Justice V Shivaraj
Patil quit on September 19 over a land controversy. The
Government subsequently recommended former Kerala High Court
Chief Justice S R Bannurmath for the post but his name was not
accepted by the Governor following reports that he was alloted
site reserved for civic amenities in the Judicial Layout.
The Government has maintained that it has followed
procedure and precedents in recommending Bannurmath's name
and stuck to its guns, leading to a logjam on the issue.
The Chief Minister said today he met the Governor twice
on the matter, and categorically denied that the Government
was adopting delaying tactics.
Certain remarks on the Governor by K S Eshwarappa, who is
also the BJP's State unit president --which were later
expunged by Speaker K G Bopaiah -- led to strong protests by
opposition members who staged a dharna in the well of the
House.
PTI
First Published: Wednesday, December 07, 2011, 18:08