FIR against George politically motivated: Siddaramaiah

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah may have saved the day for Bengaluru Development Minister KJ George by rejecting the demand for his resignation, but the issue may come back to haunt him when the State goes to polls next year.

Early this week, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) registered an FIR against George, Deputy Director General (UIDAI) Pronab Mohanty and State Intelligence chief AM Prasad, charging them with abetting the suicide of Deputy Superintendent of Police MK Ganapathy in July 2016.

Ganapathy’s son had alleged in his complaint that his father had committed suicide at a lodge in Madikeri (in Kodagu district) due to alleged harassment by the trio. Though he filed a complaint with the jurisdictional police, they failed to take it up. He then approached the court and obtained an order directing the jurisdictional court to register an FIR.

But Siddaramaiah knows more than anyone else that he cannot let go of George, his trusted lieutenant, who is tasked with monitoring key infrastructure projects in Bengaluru, which is key for the Congress’ performance and dominance in the IT city.

After being moved from the all-important Home portfolio to Bengaluru Development early this year, George has taken his job very seriously and improved the Congress’ image in Bengaluru.

In Karnataka politics, Bengaluru city — comprising both urban and rural districts — plays a pivotal role in any government formation. The city has 28 constituencies: roughly 15-20 per cent of the State’s total Assembly seats. It also has a major influence on another 70 constituencies in the neighbouring districts.

Siddaramaiah held a brief meeting with George and other senior Ministers this morning. He later told reporters that George would not resign.

Defending George, the Chief Minister said the FIR was politically motivated and accused the BJP of politicising the issue. “KJ George had resigned when the FIR was filed. He was reinstated only when the State CID gave him a clean chit. This case is just the BJP’s way of playing politics. They are politicising the issue,” Siddaramaiah said.

The Chief Minister said the CBI filing an FIR is an attempt to tarnish George’s image, and he questioned why ministers with cases against them continue to be part of the Union Cabinet.

“There are 11 ministers in Narendra Modi’s Cabinet with serious criminal cases against them. Why doesn’t the BJP ask for their resignation?” the CM asked.

BJP, the principal Oppostion party in the State, lambasted Siddaramaiah for defending his Cabinet colleague. “Instead of acting, the Chief Minister is defending the indefensible by offering bizarre logic,” Union HRD Minister Prakash Javadekar said.

Describing the controversial death of Ganapathy as an open-and-shut case that needed an impartial enquiry, Javdekar said, “The statement made by Ganapathy before his death needs to be taken as dying declaration. The Supreme Court has rejected the CID report lock, stock and barrel because it had not taken into consideration the deletion of incriminating documents such as SMS messages and voice call from Ganapathy’s mobile as brought out by the FSL report.”

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