Congress MLA from Mayakonda constituency in Davanagere district, K Shivamurthy Nayak, on Tuesday, allegedly abused and attempted to assault the Principal Secretary to the Primary and Secondary Education Department, Ajay Seth.
The Principal Secretary wrote a letter to the Chief Secretary and Minister of Primary and Secondary Education, Tanveer Sait, in which he alleged that Shivamurthy had demanded that he write a report that favours the educational institutions run by a society of which he is a chairman.
The IAS Officers’ Association and the Education Minister have demanded that action be taken against the MLA.
MLA Shivamurthy Nayak, who is also the chairman of the legislature committee for SC-ST welfare, allegedly used abusive language and threatened the bureaucrat with dire consequences if he refused to grant favours for institutes run by the said society, TOI reported.
Local media reported that Shivamurthy had visited Seth’s chamber on January 27 around 11 am. The MLA allegedly inquired about the progress of grant-in aid proposals for four high schools and one Pre-University College, run by Chitradurga District Banjara Youth Society, of which Shivamurthy is the chairman.
Seth, in his letter, claimed that Shivamurthy shouted at him for 15 minutes and questioned him as to why an inquiry was being conducted on the said educational institutions. Seth also said that he had written to the society on January 21 and had asked them to furnish necessary details, which was crucial to determine if the institutes were eligible for the aid, reports suggested.
Seth alleged that all five educational institutes were shut down for several years due to inadequate strength. When Seth mentioned this to Shivamurthy, the latter is said to have accused Seth of ganging up with corrupt officers and branding him anti-Dalit. Seth claims that the MLA also tried to assault him, the TOI report said.
Seth claimed that Shivamurthy insisted that they visit the Chief Minister with the issue, and later around 5 pm on the same day, stormed into Seth’s chamber again and accusing him of being responsible for the CM’s denial of the grant, it added.
The Education Minister has assured that appropriate action will be taken against the MLA.