Government directed to scrap ACB

Hubballi: S.R. Hiremath, Founder-President of Samaj Parivartan Samudaya, in a press conference here on Tuesday has urged the coalition government to file an affidavit in the High Court of Karnataka to scrap the Anti Corruption Bureau (ACB). Hiremath said that on Monday, a Division Bench of the High Court comprising Chief Justice Dinesh Maheshwari and Justice B.M. Shyamprasad had heard a public interest litigation petition filed by the samudaya and others, questioning the formation of the ACB. The Bench had directed the State government to file an affidavit stating its stand in the matter.

Hiremath said that the previous Congress government had created the ACB only to weaken to Lokayukta. That is why the samudaya had filed a petition and is now urging the Kumaraswamy government to file the affidavit stating that the ACB can be scrapped. He also reminded that the JD(S) had made a pre-poll promise of taking steps to strengthen the Lokayukta and scrap the ACB.

He said that though Kumaraswamy was heading a coalition government with the Congress, he should take a decision that benefits the public good, instead of protecting his position. “It is a moment of litmus test and Deve Gowda and Kumarraswamy should not back track from their promise for any reason, especially giving the excuse that their party did not have majority in the House,” he said.

Hiremath also informed that the samudaya will conduct a two-day meeting in Bengaluru from June 25 to assess the track of the Janandolanagala Mahamaitri over the last two years. People from various quarters will attend the meeting to discuss various issues with respect to the Assembly elections. A future course of action aimed at strengthening the democracy will be arrived at in the meeting.