The government on Thursday ordered a probe by officials of the Home and Transport departments into the episode of an attempt to suicide by a KSRTC driver-cum-conductor of Nagamangala taluk, H.R. Jagadish, after he was transferred, allegedly at the behest of district in-charge Minister N. Cheluvarayaswamy for political reasons.
The probe was ordered after the Opposition Janata Dal (Secular) and BJP together resorted to a dharna demanding the resignation of Mr. Cheluvarayaswamy on the grounds that the driver/conductor had accused him of being responsible for his transfer in a note before the suicide attempt.
The issue was raised by BJP leader Basavaraj Bommai and elaborated by JD(S) leader H.D. Kumaraswamy. There was angry exchange of words on the issue between Mr. Kumaraswamy on one side and Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Mr. Cheluvarayaswamy on the other. All three leaders, who were once together in the JD(S), exchanged barbs in the singular.
‘Political reasons’
Mr. Kumaraswamy said the driver, now being treated at a hospital in Mysuru, in his note had alleged that Mr. Cheluvarayaswamy had got him transferred as his wife, who is a JD(S) worker and village panchayat member, refused to switch political loyalties.
Recalling that senior leader K.S. Eshwarappa had resigned as Minister in the erstwhile BJP regime following an incident in which a contractor had committed suicide accusing him of being responsible for his woes, Mr. Kumaraswamy demanded that Mr. Cheluvarayaswamy too should quit to ensure a free and fair probe.
Counter allegations
Mr. Cheulvarayaswamy not only turned down the allegations of him being responsible for the transfer but also alleged that Mr. Kumaraswamy had tried to block the driver from being shifted from a hospital in Nagamangala to Mysuru for higher treatment.
He further alleged that his friend-turned-foe Mr. Kumaraswamy was unable to tolerate him becoming a Minister and hence, he was trying to pressurise him to resign. Harking back to history, he also alleged that Mr. Siddaramaiah was ousted from the JD(S) by the family of Mr. Kumaraswamy.
CM too joins in
This angered Mr. Kumaraswamy, who urged Speaker U.T. Khader to give him time to reveal more things involving Mr. Cheluvarayaswamy. Mr. Kumaraswamy took exception to Mr. Siddaramaiah shaking hands with Mr. Cheluvarayaswamy after the verbal attack and told him (Chief Minister) that he would not be intimidated by such gestures. The Chief Minister retorted by saying that none, including him, were scared of Mr. Kumaraswamy.
As the protesting Opposition members declared that they would not withdraw their dharna till the Minister resigns, the Speaker adjourned the House for some time and held consultations with leaders from the Opposition and ruling benches to break the ice.
