Bengaluru, Sep 2 (PTI) Union Minister H D Kumaraswamy on Wednesday posed a series of questions to Karnataka Home Minister Priyank Kharge, over alleged irregularities in the recruitment of Assistant Executive Engineers (AEE) Grade-1.
Kharge was the Minister for Rural Development and Panchayat Raj, when the alleged irregularities took place.
The JD(S) leader also questioned why the state government has allowed the matter to drag on for nearly one-and-a-half years on the grounds that the case is pending before the court.
Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, Kumaraswamy sought to know from Kharge, whether appointment orders issued to candidates selected through irregular means without his knowledge, and was he unaware that the matter was pending before the Karnataka High Court.
“Despite the documents pointing to serious irregularities, should I not be asking for your (Kharge) resignation?” he asked.
The JDS leader further questioned whether Kharge, if genuinely unaware of the irregularities in the AEE recruitment, should not have ordered an investigation.
“Were you (Kharge) unaware that conditional appointment orders were issued to candidates accused of irregularities? Wasn’t the decision to issue conditional appointment orders itself based on the fact that irregularities had occurred in the selection and recruitment process?” Kumaraswamy also asked why were appointment orders issued in such haste when several documents pointed to irregularities in the recruitment process.
“As the Minister in charge, were you unaware that your department had issued appointment orders to candidates allegedly involved in the irregularities? Do you have no connection with the officer who allegedly facilitated the alteration of OMR sheets at a resort?” he asked.
This fresh salvo from Kumaraswamy came days after he demanded Kharge’s resignation for allegedly allowing the recruitment to 24 Assistant Executive Engineers (AEE) posts at the department of Rural Development and Panchayat Raj through KPSC when he held the portfolio in the previous Siddaramaiah government.
He had noted that concerns over manipulation of OMR sheets, missing CCTV footage and procedural violations in appointment of AEE had been raised within the KPSC before the final selection process was completed, but appointments were nevertheless allowed to proceed.
Reacting to Kumaraswamy’s earlier allegations Kharge on Monday had said he was ready to retire from politics if his direct or indirect role in the alleged KPSC recruitment irregularities was proved.
He strongly objected to Kumaraswamy making allegations against him and the state government regarding the Karnataka Public Service Commission’s recruitment process, without providing any documents or evidence, stating that such conduct is unbecoming of a former Chief Minister and Union Minister.
Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, Kumaraswamy took a sharp dig at Kharge, saying, “Priyank Kharge seems to know about every development taking place around the world. But if we are expected to believe that he knows nothing about what is happening in his own department, then who is he trying to fool?” He alleged that in recent years, question papers were handed over to candidates, who were transported to examination centres in buses and made to write examinations at resorts.
Detailing the sequence of events surrounding the AEE Grade-1 recruitment, Kumaraswamy said, “The KPSC conducts the examination. Is it not the Rural Development Department that issues the appointment orders? Do not mislead the people.” PTI KSU ROH
This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.