AAP joins Cong in demand for Karnataka minister Eshwarappa's arrest

The Karnataka unit of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Thursday demanded the immediate arrest and investigation of state Minister K S Eshwarappa in connection with the death of contractor Santosh Patil.

"The resignation alone of K S Eshwarappa is not enough, he should be arrested immediately and all the scams in his Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Department must be thoroughly investigated and only then the truth will come out and that will do justice to the deceased contractor Santosh Patil," said AAP State President Prithvi Reddy.

Reddy said that Eshwarappa must face the law in the suicide case of Santosh Patil. Meanwhile, Karnataka Congress leaders including former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah along with Karnataka Congress chief D K Shivkumar and others held protests inside the Vidhana Soudha in Bengaluru, demanding that the state minister K S Eshwarappa's arrest be immediate.

D K Shivakumar, Siddaramaiah, and the others were also detained earlier as the police stopped them from marching toward Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai's residence to demand Eshwarappas's resignation.

D K Shivakumar on Thursday said that resignation is not a solution, a case of corruption has to be registered against Eshwarappa.

"It is deplorable that no arrest has taken place even with the death note and statements of the close relatives of the deceased. There are reports of large scale scams in NAREGA and Road developments. The story behind 2.89 lakh job cards in NAREGA must be exposed. There are reports of 40 per cent commission in all contracts during Eshwarappa's tenure," alleged an AAP leader.

He further said that Eshwarappa should also be arrested and investigated under the Prevention of Corruption Act.

"Though Eshwarappa was initially adamant and kept saying that there is no question of his resigning, it is a welcome step that he has now resigned. He seems to be under the impression that his resignation will close all files, but AAP will continue to carry on with this fight till there is an impartial judicial probe into the affairs of his department and the guilty are punished. It is the aim of AAP to throw out corrupt officials from power," said Prithvi Reddy.

Karnataka Minister K S Eshwarappa, who is caught in a row following his alleged role in the suicide of a contractor on Thursday said that he will hand over his resignation to Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Friday.

Earlier, Eshwarappa had said he would not resign under pressure from the opposition and added that "no death note was found near the body".

The brother of the deceased contractor on Wednesday demanded the arrest of Eshwarappa "and his close aides Ramesh and Basawaraj". 

(ANI)