Bengaluru, 27 Jan

Opposition BJP and JD(S) protested in front of the Mahatma Gandhi statue at Vidhana Soudha in the City on Tuesday, demanding the removal of Excise Minister RB Timmapur over the alleged Excise Department scam.

They also demanded the suspension of Congress legislators for allegedly "insulting and disrespecting" Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot during the joint sitting of the State legislature.

Leaders of the Opposition both in the Assembly and Council - R Ashoka and Chalavadi Narayanaswamy, State BJP President BY Vijayendra, JD(S) leaders Suresh Babu and SL Bhojegowda, were among those present.

RS 6,000CR EXCISE SCAM

Vijayendra demanded a thorough investigation into the alleged excise scam involving more than Rs 6,000 crore. The probe should be carried out either by a sitting High Court judge or by the CBI, he said.

Ashoka claimed that there is widespread corruption in the Excise Department.

"(Timmapur) collected the money from the wine shops, bars, and liquor. They collected between Rs 2,000 and Rs 3,000 crores for the Assam, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu elections,” Ashoka added, claiming that every licence now requires a bribe.

‘GOONS AGAINST GOV’

The entire country saw Congress “goons” behaving like hooligans towards the Governor in the house, Vijayendra told the press.

Gehlot had walked out of the Assembly on 22 January after reading only three lines of the customary speech, evoking a sharp reaction from many Congress members. MLC Hariprasad tried to gherao him by shouting slogans.

The BJP and JD(S) also protested Koppal Congress MP Rajashekar Basavaraj Hitnal's allegedly terming the rape and murder of a foreign woman as a minor incident and the Congress’s demonstration against the VB G RAM G.