KA-CLERK-YEDDYURAPPA

The BJP's Karnataka president

B SYeddyurappa Wednesday demanded that Chief Minister

H D Kumaraswamy drop Backward Class Welfare Minister

C PuttarangaShetty from the cabinet immediately, as huge

amounts of cash had been seized from a clerk working in his

office.

Yeddyurappa said "facts are open in front of everybody"

and the minister should be dropped "without wasting any time"

and an inquiry had to be conducted.

Questioning as to how a fair inquiry can take place with

Puttaranaga Shetty in the cabinet, he told reporters in

Shivamogga that it was the duty of a responsible government

and the Chief Minister to drop him from the Ministry

immediately.

He said the BJP has held state-wide protest on the

issue.

"Immediately his resignation has to be taken (by the

Chief Minister), fair inquiry has to happen and truthhas to

come out," Yeddyurappa said.

Based on a tip-off, a typist identified as Mohan

working in Puttaranga Shetty's office was caught with

Rs 25.76lakh by police on Friday evening at Vidhana Soudha,

thestate secretariat premises here.

Mohan, who is currently being questioned by the

Anti-Corruption Bureau, has claimed that he had collected the

sum from four civil contractors.

Hard disk and certaindocuments have also been seized

from him.

Sugesting that ACB inquiry will not help with the

minister remaining in the post, Yeddyurappa said as the

accused has given information about the money trail, Shetty

has to be immediately removed from the cabinet.

Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy, however, had said he

would wait for the police to complete the investigation

before taking any action.