You are cordially invited to the panel discussion where eminent personalities from the judiciary, anti-corruption crusade, media, and political parties will dissect the implications of the executive order removing the police investigative wing of the Karnataka Lokayukta and forming a separate Anti-Corruption Bureau under the state government. Is this a move to weaken India's most powerful and effective anti-corruption ombudsman without any discussion or debate? “We the people” must do everything to ensure that our efforts against corruption don’t get undermined in any manner. Please share this invite with all like minded, concerned individuals and institutions.
Panelists include: Justice Santosh Hegde, Justice Saldhana, Sri Kumar ex-CVC IPS, TR Raghunandan IAS, V Balasubramanian IAS, R Balasubramanian Lokayukta Special Director, Rajeev Chandrasekhar MP, SR Hiermath, and representatives from political parties and media.
Date : Wednesday 23rd March, 2016
Time : 5 to 8 pm
Venue : Rotary House of Friendship , Lavelle Road , Bangalore
Yours Sincerely, Prithvi Reddy, State Convener, Aam Aadmi Party, Karnataka
The matter has attracted the attention of Prajagalu already, as may be seen here.
Muralidhar Rao
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launch of a people's movement
Event Time & Date : 3 Pm; Saturday 26rd March, 2016
Venue : Mahatma Gandhi Statue, Gandhinagar (200 metres from Anand Rao circle)
Following is the text of a mail addressed to the participants of the 23rd meet, by Mr Prithvi Reddy, State Convener, Aam Aadmi Party, Karnataka
The initiative to launch this movement (People’s Movement to Strengthen the Lokayukta) emerged out of the “ACB or Lokayukta” panel discussion comprising of eminent citizens, which the Aam Aadmi Party hosted in response to the executive order of removing the police investigative wing from the Lokayukta and forming ACB under the state government without any prior debate or discussion. As an outcome of this panel discussion, eminent panelists unanimously issued a clarion call to launch a people’s movement to protest the government order weakening the Lokayukta. Over 200 attendees applauded the call and signed a resolution to this effect.
The discussion comprised of two panels; one consisted of eminent personalities H S Doreswamy, Justice Santosh Hegde, Justice Saldhana, ex-IPS officer Sri Kumar, ex-IAS officer T R Raghunandan and V Balasubramanian, activist S R Hiremath and , and Ravindra Bhat from Prajavani. The other panel comprised of anti-corruption thought leaders and activists from four political parties: JDS, AAP, Loksatta, and JDU.
The panelists declared that the government order was a sinister attempt at weakening the anti-corruption framework within Karnataka. The government’s arguments of citing a supreme court judgement and recent issues in the office of the Lokayukta were categorically and emphatically demolished by the eminent panelists. Both print and TV media have extensively covered their cogent arguments. Going one step further, they unanimously appealed to launch a people’s movement to protest this order and articulated the demands of this movement:
Reinstate the police investigative wing of the Karnataka Lokayukta,
Further Strengthen the Institute of the Karnataka Lokayukta, and
Develop a comprehensive policy framework for fighting corruption in the state.
In 2011, the people of Karnataka came out in large numbers to protest against corruption in our country and supported the India Against Corruption movement. It is now time to raise our voices against the Karnataka state government’s sinister move to weaken India's most powerful and effective anti-corruption ombudsman. This move is a major threat to our state’s anti-corruption efforts. I urge you all to come to this event in large numbers with friends and family and show your support for the people’s movement to strengthen the Lokayukta!
Yours Sincerely, etc.
I attended the 23rd meet, and endorsed the resolution too. As such, I'll be participating in the 26th meet too. Would like to exhort all readers to participate too, and strengthen the movement.