Mangaluru: Members of the Mangalore Bar Association staged a protest demanding the resignation of Justice Bhaskar Rao, in front of the Lokayukta office at Urwa Stores here, on July 10.
Addressing the protesters, President of the Mangalore Bar Association, S P Chengappa said that in our country, there are a number of scams. The former Lokayukta Justice N Venkatachala and Justice Santhosh Hegde brought glory to the country by fighting against corruption and initiating action against the corrupt. But today, we have one, Ashwin Kumar who is propagating corruption right from the house of the Lokayukta. Justice Bhaskar Rao instead of taking action against Ashwin, is promoting corruption. The purpose of the Lokayukta is to curb corruption and take action against the guilty, but Justice Bhasker Rao is protecting his own family members.”
“Today, we find corruption in all sectors such as in government offices, revenue department, police department etc but, in Mangalore, the Lokayukta is not taking any action against such people. The Deputy Commissioner has said that CCTV cameras should be installed in all government offices. Instead of installing CCTV in government offices, let them install CCTVs in the Lokayukta office first.” he said.
“When there is injustice and corruption, the Mangalore Bar Association has always raised its voice and demanded justice. When the Lokayukta himself is involved in corruption, he does not have any right to continue as Lokayukta. He should resign and hand over the case to the CBI.” He also said that the Lokayukta should be free from corruption and should be a role model to others. “Let the Lokayukta be an autonomous body to prevent interference from political parties. When the Lokayukta itself promotes corruption, then how can we fight corruption? In Mangalore, the Lokayukta is not active; therefore, the Lokayukta office should be shut down,” he demanded.
He also demanded that Rao resign from his post to preserve the sanctity of the Lokayukta office, and that people in the country identify it as an establishment that fights against corruption.
Later when the protesters tried to lock the front door of the Lokayukta building, they were arrested by the police.