Kempaiah still calling shots in Home affairs, says HDK

JD(S) leader H D Kumaraswamy on Saturday said Home Minister Ramalinga Reddy is not given a free hand to discharge his duties.

Speaking to reporters, he said the Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe journalist Gouri Lankesh’s murder was constituted at the behest of the adviser to Home minister, Kempaiah. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had not bothered to take Reddy into confidence in this regard. “I know who approved the said file - it definitely wasn’t the Home minister,” he added.

Referring to the police officers’ meeting convened by Reddy on Saturday, Kumaraswamy said that it was only made to seem like Kempaiah had been kept away from it. But in reality, Kempaiah was still controlling the department affairs from behind the scenes, he added.