PSI recruitment scam: Opposition seeks Home Minister Araga Jnanendra’s scalp

BENGALURU: Following the arrest of senior IPS officer and former chief of police recruitment, Additional Director General of Police (ADGP) Amrit Paul, in connection with the police sub-inspector recruitment scam, the opposition Congress leader has demanded the resignation of Home Minister Araga Jnanendra.

Targeting the Home Minister, Leader of Opposition Siddaramaiah said only officials cannot be blamed for the scam and the minster should also be held responsible. For the first time, an ADGP-rank officer has been arrested in a scam and many ministers will be in jail if the PSI scam is investigated thoroughly, the Congress leader said. 

In a series of tweets, Leader of Opposition Siddaramiah stated that more skeletons will tumble out of the closet, and the arrest of Paul is a classic precursor to this.  “What will CM Basavaraj Bommai and Home Minister Araga Jnanendra  say about this now? They went all out to deny any scam, but now there is clear indication of one,” he said. Further Siddaramiah said that it is not enough if only officers are blamed for the scam. “Even Home Minister Araga Jnanendra is equally responsible for this. CM Bommai  should first sack Araga Jnanendra from the cabinet,” he demanded.

Hitting out at the BJP government, KPCC president D K Shivakumar said corruption has reached to the top in this government. “Earlier, the Home Minister openly said that there is no scam in the PSI recruitment. He has misled the investigation. It’s not just PSI recruitment, there is scam in many other departments. The government has arrested the middleman, but what about the main culprit?’’ he asked and demanded the resignation of the Home Minister.

Meanwhile, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi demanded that the CM, who was the Home Minister then, should be sacked for fair investigation. In a tweet, he said, ‘’BJP’s brazen corruption & Sale of Jobs destroyed the dreams of thousands of youth in Karnataka. Why hasn’t the PM taken ANY ACTION? Is this the BJP govt’s “Sab Khaenge, Sabko Khilaenge” moment?’’

In its official twitter handle, the Karnataka Congress said that the PSI scam is huge. “For the first time in history, an officer with ADGP ranking has been arrested. Its a joke on administration that police are arresting police. If honestly investigated, half the cabinet ministers should be in jail,’’ it tweeted. Former CM and JDS Leader HD Kumaraswamy tweeted that the state government should not spare anyone involved in the scam. “The influential should not be spared,’’ he said.