On 11 February 2020, the BJP-led Karnataka government under Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa appointed four-time MLA Anand Singh (also known as B.P. Anand Singh) as Minister for Forest, Environment & Ecology. Just a day earlier, he had been given the Food and Civil Supplies portfolio, but he reportedly demanded the forest ministry and received it.
At the time of his appointment, Anand Singh had 15 criminal cases pending against him, as declared in his own election affidavit. Many of these cases involved illegal mining, illegal export of iron ore, forest encroachment, illicit transportation of forest produce, and other violations under the Karnataka Forest Act, 1969. Indian Express
The cases stemmed largely from investigations into the notorious Bellary (Ballari) illegal mining scandal during the 2008–2013 period when the BJP was earlier in power in Karnataka. Anand Singh, who has business interests in mining and transportation in the iron-ore rich Ballari region, was accused of criminal conspiracy, theft, cheating, and movement of forest produce without permits. He was arrested by the CBI in 2013 and by the Karnataka Lokayukta’s Special Investigation Team (SIT) in 2015 in related matters. The News Minute
One specific case filed by a Range Forest Officer in Hospet accused him of committing acts prohibited in reserved forests, including altering boundary marks.
Why This Is a “Gem”
- Clear Conflict of Interest: Appointing a person facing multiple charges under the Karnataka Forest Act to head the very department responsible for protecting forests raises serious questions about governance and accountability.
- Selective Standards: While the BJP has often projected itself as a party of “zero tolerance” on corruption and environmental protection, this decision appeared to overlook pending serious allegations against one of its own leaders.
- Political Defection Context: Anand Singh had switched from Congress to BJP before the 2020 appointment. Critics described it as a classic example of political “washing machine” politics, where serious cases are overlooked after joining the ruling party.
- Public and Opposition Outcry: The Congress party and several activists strongly criticized the move, calling it “illegal” and a conflict of interest. Despite the backlash, the portfolio was not immediately changed.
Note on later developments: In March 2025, a special court acquitted Anand Singh and others in one major illegal iron ore export case, observing that the Lokayukta SIT had failed to prove the charges. However, the controversy surrounding his 2020 appointment as Forest Minister remains a documented instance of questionable decision-making. The New Indian Express
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