K’taka Governor alleges corruption by Agri Minister N Cheluvarayaswamy

In a significant development, Karnataka Governor Thawar Chand Gehlot has reportedly written a letter to Chief Secretary Vandita Sharma, leveling accusations of corruption against the Minister for Agriculture, N. Cheluvarayaswamy. The allegations surfaced on Monday, as per reliable sources.

As of now, the government and the Governor’s office have not officially confirmed this development.

Meanwhile, Karnataka unit of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) state vice-president Mohan Dasari has demanded that minister Cheluvarayaswamy be immediately sacked from the cabinet after he was caught in a bribery scam.

The group of officers from the department of Agriculture have given a complaint to the Governor against Cheluvarayaswamy. They alleged that the minister is demanding Rs 6 to Rs 8 lakh of bribe from them through senior officers and urged that this should be stopped.

They also stated in the letter submitted to the Governor that if their problem is not resolved, they would consume poison and die along with their family members.

Seven assistant directors from the department of Agriculture had given the complaint and all of them are working in Mandya district.

Reacting to the development, Minister Cheluvarayaswamy in Mandya clarified that his department had got no news about any such development and he is being told that a fake letter is being circulated to the media in this connection.

On complaint to the Governor, he stated that he had asked the secretary to investigate the facts of the case. “Let the report come first and then I will react to it. People are targetting me day and night and let them continue their job, I am not concerned,” he stated.

However, Former Minister KS Eshwarappa has called for the Chief Minister to remove the Agriculture Minister from the cabinet.

The incident of a bus conductor attached to a state owned bus corporation consuming poison charging that minister Cheluvarayaswamy had targetted him and got him transferred over political rivalry.

It was alleged that the conductor had worked for JD (S) in Assembly elections. It had become a controversy recently and the matter had led to heated debate in the assembly budget session between former CM, JD (S) leader H.D. Kumarswamy and CM Siddaramaiah, Minister Cheluvarayaswamy.

Earlier, Cheluvarayaswamy was with the JD (S) and a close confidante of H.D. Kumaraswamy and former PM H.D. Deve Gowda family.

He joined Congress with a group of prominent leaders, including Minister for Housing B. Z. Zameer Ahmad Khan and gave a strong blow to JD (S). The leaders have alleged the family politics and anarchy in JD (S) for their decision.

(With inputs from IANS)