Senior Karnataka Minister KS Eshwarappa, embroiled in a controversy over the death of a contractor who accused him of bribery, on Friday, April 15, submitted his resignation from the state Cabinet amid a little drama involving his supporters, and not before attending a series of engagements including visiting a popular Lingayat mutt earlier in the day.
Later speaking to reporters with the Chief Minister by his side, Eshwarappa said he was quitting to safeguard the public faith towards the party and the government and not to cause any embarrassment to them.
“….whether Santhosh Patil’s was a suicide or murder should be known, conspirators behind it and parties that are involved should be arrested and punished,” he demanded.
Eshwarappa’s supporters who had gathered near the Chief Minister’s residence shouted slogans asking him not to resign, and lashed out at Congress leaders.
Karnataka BJP strongman Yediyurappa, standing by his old friend, expressed confidence that he will come out clear from all allegations and return as Minister soon.
As a political furore erupted following Patil’s death, Eshwarappa had on Thursday evening announced his resignation as minister, a day after maintaining that he will not quit.
In case, if this was the last ministerial tenure for Eshwarappa, as being speculated, it will mark the party’s key old guards fading from prominence, with former Chief Ministers BS Yediyurappa, Sadananda Gowda and Jagadish Shettar taking a back seat in the organisation, besides the untimely demise of former Union Minister Ananth Kumar.
With his origins from RSS, Eshwarappa is known to be a strong and outspoken Hindutva idealogue, and has never been a stranger to controversies.
Earlier, in what was seen as a show of strength, hundreds of Eshwarappa’s supporters travelled with him to Bengaluru in vehicles from Shivamogga, about 300 km from the city, where he visited a temple and party office, also met BJP workers and supporters earlier in the day.
Santhosh Patil, a Belagavi-based contractor, was found dead at a hotel in Udupi on Tuesday, weeks after accusing Eshwarappa of demanding 40% commission in a Rs 4 crore work.
The principal opposition party in the state also urged that an impartial investigation be conducted by the police under the supervision of a sitting judge of the Karnataka High Court.