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K’taka minister accuses media of twisting remarks
A purported video of the municipal administration minister had came to the fore on Saturday where he was blaming corruption in the police department for the death of the inspector attached to the KR Puram police station in Bengaluru.
After his statement over a suspended police inspector’s death triggered a controversy, Karnataka minister MTB Nagaraj on Monday backtracked from the “cash for post” allegations and blamed media of twisting his remarks.
Nagaraj said that he was not acquainted with the deceased inspector Nandeesh and had “visited his home to offer condolences as the officer hailed him from his (Kuruba) community”.
A purported video of the municipal administration minister had came to the fore on Saturday where he was blaming corruption in the police department for the death of the inspector attached to the KR Puram police station in Bengaluru. HT has seen the video.
Nandeesh, who was attached to KR Puram police station as an inspector, was recently suspended over allowing pubs in his jurisdiction to function beyond the deadline. Nagaraj had visited his house on Thursday when the purported conversation allegedly took place.
“They collect the money left, right and centre and get involved in all kinds of things. This is their tension. They pay ₹70 to 80 lakh for a posting; this is their tension. They are doing these kinds of things,” Nagaraj is heard saying in the video as he walks to Nandish’s house to offer condolences. The video attracted criticism from the Opposition parties.
Addressing a news conference in Bengaluru on Monday, the minister said that some party workers had told him that the late inspector had spent ₹70-80 lakh. “I only asked them what he (Nandeesh) aimed to achieve by spending ₹70-80 lakh.”
“(When I reached the house) some party workers were present. I asked them the reason for the cardiac arrest. What was he worried about?” he told reporters. “These workers told me that he (Nandeesh) used to say that he had spent ₹70-80 lakh and was worried about what to do next (as he was under suspension). So I asked them what he was going to achieve by spending ₹70-80 lakh to come here.”
The minister even accused the media of twisting his remarks. “The media has twisted my remarks.He (Nandeesh) hasn’t said he had given money. Nobody has taken it. Opposition parties have demanded the resignations of the chief minister and the home minister... that question does not arise at all,” said Nagraj.
Earlier, chief minister Basavaraj Bommai on Sunday had said he has directed the director general of police to probe the death and get an inquiry done if required, following allegations that it was linked to “cash for post”.
Bommai had said that he has already asked the DGP “to probe the death of inspector Nandeesh, who died of a heart attack, from all angles” .
“The state government has no hesitation to conduct the probe into the allegation of payment of ₹60 to 80 lakh by the suspended inspector to get a posting at K R Puram,” he had said.
“There is no second thought as far as conducting an investigation is concerned,” he had said.
The development comes after Leader of the Opposition Siddaramaiah said, “The widespread corruption in the Basavaraj Bommai-led administration has reached such proportions that even a cabinet minister like MTB Nagaraj has openly attributed the death due to the heart attack of the suspended police inspector as one being caused due to depression over payment of ₹70 to 80 lakh to get a posting”.
On Sunday, posting the video on Twitter, former chief minister HD Kumaraswamy had demanded the state government to come clean. “A minister in the Bommai cabinet has said that ₹70-80 lakh is being taken for a posting in the police department. The government must come clean on whom Nandeesh gave the money and did some per cent of that amount go to senior officers, ministers and the CM. Like the minister, even the CM must speak the truth,” Kumaraswamy tweeted.
