Karnataka Horticulture Minister Munirathna has sent a legal notice to the Karnataka Contractors’ Association over the 40% graft allegations, and has demanded an apology from the body for making ‘baseless allegations’ against him without any evidence. In the 50-crore defamation notice, the minister has given the association another seven days to publish full-page advertisements in local and national papers with an apology, or hold a press conference apologising for their allegations. The Karnataka Minister has said in the notice that the allegations by the contractors has caused him a loss of reputation, and has impacted his mental health.
The Karnataka Horticulture Minister had last week given the contractors’ body a seven-day ultimatum to provide evidence either before the media or to Lokayukta, or else issue an apology via a press release. The Karnataka state contractors’ association had accused Munirathna of threatening officials to collect and get the money. The contractors' association has received the notice, and have consulted lawyers to decide their next step. The contractors have also planned a big one-day strike to protest threats from the government and the ministers.
The state contractors’ association had alleged that Munirathna threatens officials and has even been named in a Lokayukta report. Association president D Kempanna had alleged that the minister, who is also the minister in charge of Kolar district, had threatened to suspend the executive engineer if money is not collected and given. “He is asking officials to collect and get the money. The Minister also has threatened to check the three-year-old work with machinery, when no payment has been done for the work for the last three years. He himself has got work done in RR Nagar (his constituency) for Rs 10,000 crore in two terms. What improvement has RR Nagar made?” Kempanna had asked, briefing the media a couple of weeks ago.
Munirathna had then dismissed the allegation, warning of taking action against the association for defaming him. He had said that the contractors’ association must provide evidence for their claims that he has demanded money. “In case, they are unable to provide evidence to the court, the law will take its course. If we have committed a mistake let us be punished, but we cannot allow defaming with allegations,” he had said. Munirathna had called the graft allegations made by the contractors ‘politically motivated', and that the charges were made as per the "guidance" of the Leader of Opposition Siddaramaiah.
The contractors' association had on August 24 reiterated its allegation that ministers in Karnataka demand a 40 per cent commission, adding that it would continue its fight by demanding an independent judicial inquiry. An association delegation, led by its president D Kempanna, last week met Congress leader and Leader of Opposition in the State Assembly Siddaramaiah and later alleged that the whole system was corrupt.
The Karnataka government has maintained that the charges made by the contractors’ association are baseless. Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai termed the allegations as "nothing but politically motivated" and hit out at the Congress, which along with the association is demanding a judicial probe. "I demand details and evidence for allegations made; if given, will an order inquiry in 24 hours," Bommai said.
With PTI inputs