Date:01/12/2006 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2006/12/01/stories/2006120110030400.htm

Karnataka - Bangalore

`Dismiss Horatti, Chennigappa'

Special Correspondent

Congress delegation submits memorandum to Chaturvedi

PLEA TO GOVERNOR: Congress leaders leaving the Raj Bhavan after submitting a memorandum to Governor T.N. Chaturvedi on Thursday. — Photo: K. Gopinathan

BANGALORE: Encouraged by the Election Commission's decision to reprimand Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy for violating the model code of conduct in place for the Chamundeshwari Assembly byelection, the Congress on Thursday urged Governor T.N. Chaturvedi to dismiss the Ministers Basavaraj S. Horatti and C. Chennigappa on the same ground.

A Congress delegation led by Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Assembly N. Dharam Singh called on the Governor at the Raj Bhavan and urged him to exercise the authority vested in him under the Constitution and relieve Mr. Horatti and Mr. Chennigappa of their responsibilities as Ministers.

In a memorandum submitted to the Governor, Mr. Dharam Singh alleged that on November 28, Mr. Horatti convened a meeting of teachers drafted for election duty and tried to influence them to rig the election in favour of the Janata Dal (S) candidate.

Addressing presspersons later, Mr. Dharam Singh condemned Mr. Horatti's electoral tactics and urged the Governor to take cognisance of what he termed grave misconduct on the part of the Minister.

In a separate memorandum, Mr. Dharam Singh and other party leaders condemned the assault on a reporter of Mysooru Mitra by Mr. Chennigappa and his supporters on Wednesday.

The Minister was reported to have abused the journalist even after he identified himself. The reporter received bruises when he was pushed against a barbed wire fence, he said. "This is a blatant infringement of the fundamental right of a journalist guaranteed under Article 19 of the Constitution," the memorandum said.

"This is yet another instance vindicating the apprehension of the Congress party wherein misuse of office and abuse of official authority is established, clearly violating the code of conduct," it said.

Mr. Dharam Singh said the Governor had assured the delegation that he would look into both issues and take action soon.

V.S. Ugrappa, MLC and KPCC spokesperson, alleged that Janata Dal (Secular) leaders had been wooing voters by giving away money, cellphones and television sets.

P. Kodandaramaiah, former MP, alleged that the former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda and Mr. Kumaraswamy had shown disrespect to the Election Commission by staging a dharna in Mysore and making adverse remarks against the election observers monitoring the campaign.