K'taka CM assures action against DSP for lodging FIR against council Chairperson

Bengaluru, March 17

Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Thursday stated in the Legislative Council that he will initiate action against Dharwad Rural DySP M.B. Sankad for lodging an FIR against the Speaker of the Council Basavaraj Horatti.

JD (S) MLC Bhoje Gowda raised the issue and stated that the Chairperson holds a constitutional post. A case had been registered against him under the atrocity Act violating the guidelines, showing disrespect to the post, he added.

He stated that protocol has not been maintained and the government has washed its hands off the matter after suspending a sub-inspector.

A DySP is responsible for this incident and action must be taken against him, he demanded.

Bommai stated that it is recorded in the protocol guidelines that after the post of the Governor, the post of Chairperson is most important. Whenever legal action is taken against persons holding constitutional posts, protocol has to be followed.

"The protocol has been violated, after learning about the development I had spoken to the Chairperson. He had obtained a stay from the High Court. We have already initiated action against the sub-inspector. We are also considering to take action against the investigation officer, the DySP," Bommai stated.

U.B. Venkatesh and Saleem Ahmad, both Congress MLCs, said that whenever there is a similar incident, action is initiated only against junior officers and the senior officials are protected. The government can't keep quiet at a time when the Speaker is insulted, they added.

Opposition leader in the Council B.K. Hariprasad stated that the sub-inspector belonging to the Dalit community has been made a scapegoat in the case.

The Akhila Karnataka Valmiki Nayaka Mahasabha lodged a complaint against Horatti and five others in Dharwad Rural police station in connection with a dispute over the management of an educational institution. It was alleged that though Basavaraj Horatti is not the chairperson of the Sarvodaya Trust but he is misusing his authority and exercising the powers of the chairperson.