KJ George need not resign from cabinet: Siddaramaiah

Following an uproar by the Opposition, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Friday clarified that KJ George, who has been booked in connection with police officer M.K. Ganapathy's suicide, need not resign from the state cabinet as he was inducted after Criminal Investigation Department's (CID) B report.

"KJ George inducted back in cabinet after CID's B report, now BJP asking for resignation. He doesn't need to resign," the Chief Minister said.

Siddaramaiah further stated that George cannot influence Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) as he is not a home minister now.

"George was home minister then, he's not a home minister now. So, in no way can he can influence the CBI," he added.

Meanwhile, George said the case registered against him by the CBI was political vendetta.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) yesterday demanded removal of George from the Karnataka Cabinet after the CBI named him along with three senior police officers in a FIR in the suicide case.

M.K. Ganapathy allegedly killed himself in a lodge in Kodagu on July 7, 2016 when he was the Deputy Superintendent of Police, Mangaluru. In a video message, he named K.J. George, A.M. Prasad and Pranab Mohanty responsible for his extreme step.

On September 5, the apex court ordered a CBI investigation into the former cop's suicide.

While hearing the plea of Ganapathy's father, M.K. Kushalapp, the Supreme Court said that "there are certain startling facts in the case. Whether it is murder or suicide, it is required to be investigated in a fair manner."

Kushalapp had moved the apex court, challenging the order of the Karnataka High Court, which rejected his plea for CBI probe into the death case.

K.J. George is the Minister for Bengaluru Development and Town Planning. He was previously the Home Minister of Karnataka. He was also the Minister of State (Independent Charge) Transport, Food and Civil Supplies in the Veerendra Patil government and Cabinet Minister for Housing and Urban Development in the S. Bangarappa government.