K'taka: 'No illegality in recommending my name to Guv'

Bangalore, Feb 11: Asserting that there was no illegality in recommending his name to the Governor by Chief Minister, Karnataka Upa Lokayukta Chandrashekaraiah today said it had been done after consulting the persons "required to be consulted" under the Lokayukta Act.

"There are no illegalities or irregularities in the procedure of recommending my name to Governor by the Chief Minister(D V Sadananda Gowda)," Chandrashekaraiah told PTI a day after Karnataka High Court Chief Justice Vikramjit Sen wrote to Gowda, objecting to his appointment as a Upa Lokayukta by violating the Lokayukta Act.

Justice Sen had said Chandrashekaraiah was appointed without consulting him as required under law, and as per section 3(2)(A) of the Karnataka Lokayukta Act, 1984, he should have been consulted. Under the Act, government must consult a panel comprising the presiding officers of both Houses of the Legislature, opposition leaders of the two Houses and the Chief Justice.

"It has been done after consulting the persons required to be consulted under the Lokayukta Act," Chandrashekaraiah said. Chandrashekaraiah was appointed the second Upa Lokayukta on January 21 while the government and Governor H R Bhardwaj were engaged in a tussle over the appointment of Lokayukta.

Former Kerala Chief Justice S R Bannurmath, a few days ago, withdrew from the race of Lokayukta but not before lambasting the Governor, saying he rejected his name due to alleged political considerations.

PTI