Governor disturbed over corruption allegations

Bangalore, Sep 24 (UNI) Karnataka Governor T N Chaturvedi has expressed concern over the rising crime rate in Karnataka and also controversies dogging the JD(S)-BJP government and stated that it would directly or indirectly affect governance of the state.

In a three page letter to Leader of the Opposition in the Karnataka Legislative Council H K Patil in reply to his communication seeking the governor to use discretionary powers to take action against the Government released to the press, Mr Chaturvedi said ''I am greatly disturbed by the controversies and allegations and counter allegations of corruption as they are bound to affect directly or indirectly the good governance in the state and faith of the people in democratic system''.

Rejecting the plea of Mr Patil to use the governor's discretionary power, especially with regard to increasing crime rate in the state, Mr Chaturvedi said ''mal adminsitration or the rising crime graph does not provide authority to resort to any drastic measure as suggested by you''. However he said that he was concerned with the increasing crime. ''In the recent past itself I have discussed it some length with the Home Minsiter of the State and from time to time I have also discussed it with the police authorities as with the Chief Minister. I do intend to take up this matter even with much greater persistence'' he added.

Stating that both constitutional and legal points have got mixed up with the allegations in Mr Patil's letter, the governor observed this ''may be natural in the present state of affairs in the state''. Declining to go into the question of how the JD(S) led coalition government came into existence, he said that the matter had been discussed so many times earlier.

He said it was very difficult for him to go into the reportedly intemperate language used by Former Prime Minsiter H D Deve Gowda about CBI or Mr Patil's observations about the attempt to pressurise BJP MLC G Janardhan Reddy (Who had leveled bribery charge of Rs 150 crore gainst Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy) and BJP leader Sushma Swaraj or the political matters which hardly fall within his purview.

''It is all a question of democratic and political ethics and for senior persons like you to think of it in a much larger perspective and not in the background of any specific case which is prone to create heat and political partisanship'', he added.

With regard to the police not showing any alertness about the CDs and photographs about Mr Reddy's allegations or the Director General of Police being inactive, Mr Chaturvedi said that he had already spoken to the Home Minister as well as regards the investigation about the CDs and their authenticity or otherwise.

Stating that he had no difference with Mr Patil's observations with regard apart from Courts people holding responsible positions should play their role and bring out the truth, the governor said ''In my own humble way this is what I have been trying to do being aware of the responsibilites of the present office. Of course all of us ought to help the courts when the matters are before them so that the wrong could be righted. He said the two memorandums submitted by the Congrsss Party and referred by Mr Patil had been suitably dealt with by him with the outmost consideration they deserved.

The governor said he would not be found lacking either in exercising independence of his judgement ort discretion, but the independence of judgement could not be derived from outside and discretion would also have to be exercised discreetly in the constitutional structure of accountability.

UNI