New Delhi: Karnataka Minister K.S. Eshwarappa, who has been named in an alleged suicide of a contractor, will resign Friday.
Eshwarappa told reporters this evening, “I will hand in my resignation to the chief minister tomorrow. Thank you for your cooperation.”
Belagavi-based contractor Santosh Patil was found dead in an Udupi hotel on Tuesday, weeks after accusing the senior BJP leader of corruption. The police have booked a case of abetting suicide against Eshwarappa.
Patil was also an office bearer of the Hindutva outfit Hindu Vahini.
On Monday night, a suicide note was allegedly sent from Patil’s phone number to journalists and friends via WhatsApp. In it, Patil purportedly holds Eshwarappa, Karnataka’s rural development and panchayat raj (RDPR) minister, to be solely responsible for his death.
The Opposition Congress has been up in arms against the minister, demanding his resignation without delay.
However, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai said Thursday that action would be taken based on the preliminary inquiry into the suicide.
He told reporters: The “post-mortem was done only late last night… investigation will begin now. Based on the outcome of the investigation, we will decide. I have said before that without preliminary inquiry there will be no action (against Eshwarappa).”
Eshwarappa on Wednesday had maintained he would not step down.
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