Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Friday, April 15, said the resignation of Rural Development and Panchayat Raj (RDPR) Minister KS Eshwarappa — against whom police have booked a case for abetting the suicide of contractor Santosh Patil — cannot be considered a "setback" for the government.
Speaking to reporters, the Chief Minister said that “the truth will come out from the investigation”, and asked the Congress — which has been calling for Eshwarappa’s arrest — not to become “investigators, prosecutors and judges”. "He (Eshwarappa) has decided. He will be giving resignation today evening. I spoke to him yesterday, he is of a clear stand and is voluntarily resigning. He has said that he is 100% innocent. He has asked for an investigation to happen at the earliest and is confident of coming out clear from the allegations against him," CM Bommai told reporters.
To a question whether the incident is a setback for the government, Bommai said that the truth will come out regarding the developments that have taken place and the road work that is said to have been undertaken by Santosh Patil, without any work order. "Eshwarappa is confident about coming out clear after investigation, after that it will be known who will face setbacks and for whom it is a step forward...there is no question of a setback or a step forward (for the government)," he added.
Santhosh Patil, a Belagavi-based contractor and BJP member, was hired by the RDPR Department in 2019 to construct roads worth Rs 4 crore. However, he alleged that he had not received any money from the government as he refused to pay an alleged 40% cut to Eshwarappa. On Tuesday, April 12, Patil purportedly died by suicide at a hotel in Udupi, and he had expressly named Eshwarappa as the “sole cause” of his death.
Since then, the police have booked a case against Eshwarappa for abetment of suicide, based on a complaint filed by Patil’s kin. On Thursday, April 14, the minister called for a sudden press conference, wherein he announced that he would resign on Friday. “Even if I have done 1% wrong, I pray to god to punish me. I have full faith that I will walk free from this episode. I have informed the Chief Minister that an investigation should happen and he has agreed,” he said.
Meanwhile, CM Bommai on Friday told reporters that opposition leaders must wait for the police investigation to conclude before demanding Eshwarappa’s arrest. "Was KJ George (Minister during Congress rule who was named in the suicide of a police officer) arrested by the Congress government? Neither the Karnataka police nor the CBI had arrested him, despite the NDA government at the Union government. Police will decide if they need to arrest Eshwarappa or not," he said.