BENGALURU: The state government has made it clear that it will not appeal against the Karnataka High Court order on the abolition of the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) and will take measures to strengthen the Lokayukta.
Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Tuesday told reporters that the government’s stand is clear and there is no question of appealing against the HC order. “We are sticking to the high court order.
We had stated it in our election manifesto and we have already started the process of implementing the order,” the chief minister said. In its manifesto for the 2018 assembly elections, the BJP had promised it will abolish the ACB that was created during the Congress government and strengthen the Lokayukta to fight corruption.
Egg incident: CM slams Siddu
While the government had not taken any such action, the Karnataka High Court recently ordered the abolition of the ACB and directed that the cases it was handling should be transferred to the Lokayukta. The court had also directed the government to strengthen the Lokayukta which was rendered powerless after its powers to take up cases under the Prevention of Corruption Act were taken away.
Bommai said a decision was taken in a cabinet meeting that the government will not appeal against the court order and it has already initiated the process to implement it. He also said the government has nothing to do with a petition filed in the Supreme Court against the order, and if required, it will explain its stand in the apex court.
Meanwhile, CM Bommai hit out at former chief minister Siddaramaiah for accusing the government of supporting the BJP workers’ protest against him during his visit to Kodagu. Allegations made by the former CM are false, he said, adding that the government has already ordered a probe and enhanced his security. “There is no need for our government to do anything like that,” he added.