Chief minister DV Sadananda Gowda on Thursday dismissed the argument that governor HR Bhardwaj could follow the footsteps of Gujarat governor, who unilaterally appointed a Lok Ayukta, ignoring the state government's recommendation.
Gowda said the Lok Ayukta Act of Gujarat is different from Karnataka’s. Here, the governor has no role in selectinga candidate for the post of Lok Ayukta.
The deadlock over the appointment of Lok Ayukta rocked the legislative council on Thursday with the opposition parties accusing the state government of trying to weaken the anti-corruption agency.
JD(S) leaders MC Nanaiah and HC Neeravari moved an adjournment motion in this regard. They said the state government should nominate somebody else as the governor had rejected the candidature of Justice SR Bannurmath.
Gowda said the government would stand firm on its choice of Justice Bannurmath and the governor was bound to accept the decision. He said if the post of Lokayukta is still vacant, it is not because of the state government’s alleged inaction but because of the governor’s adamant stand. He said the state government had started the process of appointment immediately after Justice Shivaraj Patil stepped down and since then the file has been gathering dust in the governor’s office.
Amid the allegations that the state government is trying to weaken the corruption watchdog, the chief minister asserted that if someone was to be blamed, it was the Raj Bhavan.
He said the governor is bound to accept the state government’s choice as the governor’s office is only an appointing authority.
Gowda said the job of selecting a Lokayukta rests with a collegium comprising the speaker of legislative assembly, chairman of legislative council, chief justice of Karnataka high court and leaders of opposition in legislative assembly and council.
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