BJP ‘honest face’ in row over land

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In a major setback to the BJP government in Karnataka, its ‘honest face’ — law minister S. Suresh Kumar — quit on moral grounds following allegations that he suppressed facts to obtain a site under the Chief Minister’s discretionary quota from Bengaluru Development Authority (BDA), on Saturday.

Mr Kumar, the 12th minister to step down since the BJP was voted to power in 2008, announced his resignation after RTI activist, S. Bhaskaran, ferreted out details of his property and pointed out that the minister had not provided requisite information to BDA.

“I took this decision to save the party and the government from embarrassment. I am contemplating returning the site,” he told mediapersons after handing over his resignation to Chief Minister D.V. Sadananda Gowda. The Chief Minister, however, told Mr Kumar that he would not accept it. In the afternoon, the entire cabinet asked the minister to withdraw his resignation.

Several BJP leaders and scores of supporters rushed to the minister’s residence and persuaded him not to press his resignation.

Mr Suresh Kumar clarified that he had not violated any law. While he bought the BDA site in June 2009, his mother and daughter were allotted sites by a housing co-operative society in Nelaman-gala in December 2009.