By K.K. Aiyamma
The Hindu is reporting that:
Deputy Speaker Shivashankar Reddy on Wednesday referred a complaint by BJP MLA K.G. Bopaiah against Kodagu District Superintendent of Police (SP) Varthika Katiyar to the Privileges Committee. Raising the issue in the Assembly, Mr. Bopaiah alleged that the SP had tried to defame him by wrongly informing the media that his personal assistant had been included in the rowdy-sheeters’ list.
Bopaiah wants to move a privileged motion against the SP, in the state assembly. Privilege Motion is many times used by politicians who break laws and then threaten honest cops with “breach of privilege”.
The privileged committee is to examine the complaint.
The Timeline:
1. The Committee formed by the State Govt to elicit views from locals, politicians and NGO’s and then decide upon the inclusions of areas in ESZ’s (Eco-Sensitize Zones), was to visit Coorg on Nov 28th.
2. A samiti called Kasturirangan Varadi Horata Samiti was formed to oppose the recommendations of the Kasturigangan Report. On 27th November, a member of the committee, Cheranda Nanda Subbaiah gave a call for the people of Kodagu district to arrive at large number to express their opposition to Kasturirangan report, during the visit of State-level expert panel members. Subbaiah had a list of allegations against the report and recommendations, as being anti-people and would affect the livelihood of the people of Coorg.
Environmentalists claim that the elected representatives and vested interests are spreading falsehood and spreading fear in the minds of people.
A bandh in the past was called by the elected representatives, Major(Retd) Nanjappa had denied the claims against the report being spread by the elected representatives.
3. On 28th November, the State Govt Committee visits Coorg to do their job. IFS officer S Sivasankar, Deputy conservator of forests, Madikeri Wildlife Division, is present there. He is assaulted for voicing his concerns about conservation activities during the meeting by the member of the Samiti and some elected representatives and their sidekicks.
The police file a case case against Cheranda Nanda Subbaiah, Gaalibeedu Gram Panchayat President Subhash Somaiah, Zill Panchayat Member S N Rajarao, former MLC S G Medappa and Madhu Devaiah, the personal assistant of MLA K G Bopaiah.
4. The SP states that “She was a witness to the whole episode and based on evidence(which is video recorded), the FIR was filed”. She claims there is political pressure on her department, but she has the video to prove the charge.
5. On November 30th, the Samiti re-groups, this time under the chairmanship of Madikeri MLA Appachu Ranjan. They call for bandh on Dec 2, to mark protest against the implementation of Kasturirangan report and the “booking of false cases on protesters.“
6. The SP warns of stringent action against the organisers of bandh, if any untoward incidents or damage to public properties occur during the bandh and also states that – ” no organisations have given an official communique in this regard(bandh) and no permission was sought for the same.”
7. The warning seems to work. The bandh goes off peacefully .
8. Bopaiah goes to the speaker with a compliant against the SP.
