Karnataka’s politics in the run-up to the April-May elections this year gets messier as we go along. The blame game was expected, and as usual, there are politicians exposed in the process. This election’s unlucky victim is BJP leader R. Ashoka who previously served as the former Deputy Chief Minister. The Anti-Corruption Bureau(ACB) has filed an FIR against him in the light of the Bagair-Hukum land scam. But, good news for him, the High Court has stayed the probe into his case till March 31st.
The High Court order staying FIR against R. Ashoka
The order to stay the probe was passed by R.B. Budihal. The order in question was passed in the light of the questions and violations that have been seen right from the registration of the FIR. The ACB claimed that cases registered under the Prevention of Corruption Act couldn’t be stayed. But the court said there is no prohibition on courts to stay such investigations. The court cannot stay trials in cases of corruption after completion of the framing of charges.
Bagair-Hukum Land Scam
The abuse of power by R. Ashoka between 1998 and 2007 when he was the Chairman of the Bagair Hukum Regularisation Committee is being questioned. The FIR was filed by the ACB now in 2018, why the delay? The charges included illegal regularisation of unauthorised occupation of land. The ACB in its statement demanded a quick and full investigation.
The story takes place when Ashoka was the MLA of the Uttarahalli constituency. He alotted land to people who didn’t apply through the regular process. The land was also allotted to people who already owned land as well. The Bagair Hukum farmers didn’t have documented proof of ownership over land. They claimed traditional land-holding rights. The case was opened in the Lokayukta as well. Karthik B. too has been named as part of the scam as a beneficiary of such land. The ACB claimed that land was allotted 18km away from Bengaluru which is illegal.
The Politics
R. Ashoka in a petition said there were three other Congress members that were involved. They weren’t named in the accusations. ACB said action would be taken against them as well. The timing of when this scam is revealed has caused much stir in Karnataka considering the elections are around the corner.The BJP believed that this another ploy to ruin their ‘Parivarthana Yatra‘. It seems like a game of ‘passing the parcel’ wherein one party blames another for some scam or without rhyme or reason. The choices available to the voter are therefore mediocre. Both parties are now pulling out the trump cards and waiting for the right time to launch them and create a buzz on the streets.