BJP ignored citizens’ plea

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At a time when the State BJP is facing embarrassing charges of nepotism and corruption, picking tainted corporators as city fathers has dealt another blow to the party's image and to the citizens' hopes of better civic governance.

With what authority can the Mayor and the Deputy Mayor act against encroachments in the city when they themselves are accused of building their houses on illegal land, query prominent citizens and opposition party leaders, who have demanded the resignations of both to uphold the sanctity of the council and the posts.

The BJP has inexplicably handpicked people who are not free from the taint of encroachment to lead the city administration. Deputy Mayor L. Srinivas has allegedly encroached on the Chikkallasandra lake, according to a report by the Joint House Committee on encroachments.

The Mayor's wife owns property that was earmarked as for a city amenity. "How could they be picked for such positions? With such people at the helm of power the city cannot go forward and cannot get a blue print for the comprehensive development of the city," said president of the Citizens' Action Forum (CAF) N. S. Mukunda.

CAF says the BJP has ignored the citizens' plea of choosing relatively clean candidates for the post of Mayor and Deputy Mayor. The BJP is playing ego politics and its game plan has left the people in the lurch, said members of CAF.

Giving power to people who are tainted gives them a chance to misuse their office to get their illegal acts regularised by putting pressure on officials to change the records, said the members.

“It prevents the tainted public representatives from implementing the laws properly. When they themselves are violating the law, how can it be implemented properly? These two people lack any vision for the city. They have been saying that the lakes will be protected. But their claims should be taken with a pinch of salt," said a CAF member.

The power of their office also gives them access to special funds and allocations which are more likely to be misused, CAF added.