If George goes, Centre's 24 ministers must too, says Siddaramaiah

Belagavi (Karnataka), [India] Nov.14 (ANI): Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah took on the opposition BJP and the Centre on Tuesday over the matter of him not removing K.J. George from his cabinet after the latter had submitted his resignation six months ago. He said no person in a position of responsibility resigns because a case is filed against him or her. If that were the case, then scores of ministers should have resigned by now.

Siddaramaiah told ANI, "Already the matter has been discussed in the house and in the council. George voluntarily resigned six months ago, though there was no need. I even advised him not to do so, but on moral grounds he did. Later, the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) gave him a clean chit following which he again became a minister. Currently, the opposition is demanding his resignation again, and this time, the whole party is adamant on the issue."

"When he had resigned the first time, I had advised him to not do so. No one resigns just because there is a FIR. If that was the case, then scores of ministers and leaders across the country should hand in their resignations. There are 24 central government ministers against whom an FIR is filed. Let them also resign," countered Siddaramaiah.

Yesterday, the BJP at the legislative council launched the first salvo by seeking a debate on the adjournment motion seeking George's resignation from the Siddaramaiah cabinet.

On October 26, the BJP demanded the removal of George from the Karnataka Cabinet after the CBI named him and three senior police officers in a FIR in connection with the suicide of Deputy Superintendent of Police M.K. Ganapathy case.

Ganapathy allegedly killed himself in a lodge in Kodagu on July 7, 2016 when he was the Deputy Superintendent of Police (Mangaluru). In a video message, he held K.J. George, A.M. Prasad and Pranab Mohanty responsible for his death.

On September 5, the apex court ordered a CBI investigation into the former cop's suicide. (ANI)

This story has not been edited. It has been published as provided by ANI