Santosh Hegde to CM: Read BJP manifesto

Chief minister BS Yeddyurappa’s assurance of considering the request of suo motu powers for the Lokayukta on Thursday drew an angry response from the latter.

“It would have been better for the chief minister if he had read the BJP manifesto,” Lokayukta justice N Santosh Hegde shot back, rubbishing the promise.

“The assurance on suo motu powers is coming as a reaction to my resignation. It is better for him (CM) to remember that the BJP manifesto had promised the same. What happened to the manifesto,” justice Hegde asked.

Defending his decision to step down, the Lokayukta said, it would strengthen the institution of Lokayukta as the state government is now talking about fulfilling the needs of the institution to function effectively.

“I will be very happy if my successor gets more powers. But I will not change my decision to quit, whether the government gives more powers or not.”

He took exception to BJP state president KS Eshwarappa’s statement that the Lokayukta had acted in haste and it would be better to reconsider his decision. “I don’t think this man has done anything other than politics. For him anybody other than a BJP worker is an opponent,” justice Hegde said.

When asked whether the chief minister or any other ministers contacted him after he had quit, he said, “There has been no communication after I quit.”

Referring to the increasing number of public demonstrations across the state demanding that he to continue in the post, justice Hegde said: “This is a spontaneous support which I am not used to. But I cannot get emotionally carried away. I will not use this support to fulfill my earlier demands. But I will continue my crusade against corruption even after quitting.”

Meanwhile, former prime minister HD Deve Gowda has termed justice Hegde’s resignation as a slap on the face of BJP government. “People of the state would teach a befitting lesson as they were fed up of the filthy system,” he said.

Recalling the state government’s friction with the state human rights commission and the backward classes commission, Gowda said the state government had been systematically destroying the democratic institutions, which had been functioning as the checks and balances in the system.

“Considering the high standards set by justice Hegde, it is not even possible to dream about the state government appointing a person of his stature,” Gowda said.

Former chief minister HD Kumaraswamy, reacting to Yeddyurappa’s statement that opposition parties had no moral right to ask for suo motu powers for Lokayukta, recalled that he had constituted a cabinet sub-committee to consider the request.

“Unfortunately the issue could not be taken to its logical conclusion as the government collapsed even before the cabinet sub-committee could submit its report. Yeddyurappa, who succeeded as the chief minister, buried the issue and ensured that the proposal was not raised again,” Kumaraswamy said.