Santosh Hegde supporters appeal to him not to quit panel

Members of civil society today appealed to the Lokayukta Santosh Hegde not to quit the joint drafting committee on Lokpal Bill.

An upset Hegde who had been put off by the vilification campaign and remarks against him, had yesterday said that he was reconsidering his decision on being on the panel and would take a decision after discussing it with his colleagues.

Hegde's supporters, who included members of the civil society and organisations, today came out and held placards and appealed to the Lokayukta not to withdraw from the panel.

His supporters said his presence was required as he had vast expertise on the law front and was well acquainted with the nitty-gritty of handling corruption. They urged him to continue in the panel and to be part of the anti-corruption crusade.

JDS leader HD Kumaraswamy also extended his support and asked him not to resign in "national interest". He urged the Lokayukta not to take decisions owing to a statement made by a political leader, apparently referring to Congress leader Digvijay Singh's attack on him (Hegde) that he was not acting against corruption in Karnataka.