BENGALURU: Coming down heavily on the state government for transferring Lokayukta SP Dr B A Mahesh, JD(S) patriarch H D Deve Gowda accused Chief Minister Siddaramaiah of “protecting the corrupt in the party (Congress) to remain in power.”
The state government on Friday effected IPS transfers, including that of Mahesh, who was handling sensitive cases. Mahesh has been shunted out by the CM to protect Congress MLA Munirathna Naidu, whose house was raided recently by the Lokayukta police, Gowda told reporters on Saturday.
Gowda said Siddaramaiah has never raised his voice against the corrupt.
He said the CM has maintained silence over the demand made by freedom fighter H S Doreswamy seeking the removal of Energy Minister D K Shivakumar over his alleged role in the Shanthinagar Housing Cooperative Society scam.
He said he has convened a party workers’ convention on Sunday and added that JD(S) would launch a membership drive from Bengaluru on January 24. “We have set a target to register a minimum of 20,000 members in each of the 224 Assembly constituencies,” he added. H D Deve Gowda said that his party would soon vacate the Race Course Road party office in Bengaluru. The Supreme Court had asked the party to vacate the building and return it to KPCC.