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Bengaluru, Oct 28 (IANS) The BJP on Tuesday accused Karnataka Assembly Speaker UT Khadar of corruption and said many controversies have arisen during his tenure. In this, a judicial inquiry was demanded into the allegations.
Addressing a press conference at BJP state office Jagannath Bhawan in Bengaluru on Tuesday, BJP MP and former Assembly Speaker Vishweshwar Hegde Kageri said that the post of Assembly Speaker should be cleared of the allegations leveled against him. He demanded a judicial inquiry headed by a sitting judge into the allegations.
“Why are tenders from the Speaker’s office being given only to contractors from Mangaluru? Why are they going to a select few?” he asked.
“What was the opinion of the secretariat officials? According to my information, the finance department had rejected the purchases, but later there are allegations that the chief minister himself approved them. There are also allegations that the chief minister extended support to UT Khadar,” Kageri alleged.
“What was so important about these purchases?” He asked question.
He claimed that the allegations of corruption started with the installation of a frame made of sheesham wood at the main gate of the assembly.
Kageri alleged, “New television sets were installed in the Assembly hall, and huge costs were incurred in setting up an AI-based surveillance system. All MLAs were given wall clocks with the Gandaberunda (two-headed eagle) symbol.”
“The Speaker started providing meals and snacks at government expense. Was this necessary?” Kageri asked, “At first glance, this seems unnecessary.”
“Bedsheets, carpets and even the wall paint were changed. There is a growing suspicion that there is more to all these renovations than meets the eye,” he said.
He further alleged irregularities in the purchases made for the MLAs’ quarters.
“Smart door lockers were reportedly installed to improve security. A company like Godrej sells these for around Rs 14,000-16,000 as per online listings, but the Speaker’s office showed an expenditure of over Rs 49,000 per unit. Similarly, smart safe lockers available in the market for Rs 8,000-9,000 were billed for over Rs 35,000,” he claimed.
He further said, “Smart energy solutions which cost around Rs 30,000 in the market were purchased for Rs 90,500 each. Stainless steel water purifiers available for Rs 16,000-53,000 were purchased for Rs 65,000. In all, 235 items were purchased – including 123 smart energy systems, 224 safe lockers and the same number of door lockers.”
“For a 4-5 day book fair, they spent Rs 4.5 crore. Even if they had bought and distributed the books, it probably wouldn’t have cost that much,” Kageri said.
“They only installed stalls and lighting and placed tables and cots in the MLAs’ hostels. Appointments in the secretariat have been put on hold by the court. What is happening in the Speaker’s chamber? All this defames the situation. UT Khadar is currently abroad. How many countries has he visited, how much did those visits cost and how much did the government pay?” he asked.
Kageri demanded, “When I was Speaker, I too went abroad, but within acceptable limits. How many foreign trips did he make and with whom? All this needs to be made public.”
Kageri reminded that when ten BJP MLAs were suspended in 2023, it was already alleged that UT Khadar was acting on the instructions of the Congress party. “Later, when 18 more MLAs were suspended, questions were raised whether the Speaker had become a puppet of the ruling party. During the assembly proceedings, concerns were raised over whether he was giving enough opportunities to the opposition BJP,” Kageri said.
He said, “I heard that even the leader of the opposition was not allotted a government accommodation. The system should work with fairness and respect. But now, large-scale corruption is taking place in the name of administrative reforms. These issues have been reported in newspapers, social media and YouTube channels.”
–IANS
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