Hegde slams Congress for attacking CAG

Former Karnataka Lokayukta N Santosh Hegde today slammed Congress for attacking Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) for its report on the coal allocation issue, wondering if the judiciary would be the next target. “Today, they are using all sorts of phraseology against the CAG; tomorrow they may do it against the judiciary also. Very unfortunate,” Hegde said here. Hegde noted that under the Constitution, CAG is obligated to find fault of the Government, if any, and make it known to Parliament. “He (the CAG) has done his duty.” A member of the erstwhile Team Anna, Hegde said that if one did not agree with the CAG report, the issue can be raised in an appropriate forum. “You can’t go on attacking a constitutional body,” he said.

He also criticised BJP for continuing to stall the proceedings of Parliament demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on the coal blocks allocation issue. “They don’t allow the proceedings to go on and at the same time you collect your fees (entitled for Parliamentary members during session),” Hegde said. “I can understand they have a cause but it should be limited to a certain period only.”

But he saw a case for cancellation of coal blocks allocation to players who failed to comply and institution of an independent enquiry on the issue. Hegde referred to a significant number of cases where the allottees had not even started mining. “If they have not fulfilled their obligations and only benefitted by increasing their share value, the whole thing is irregular,” he said.

Meanwhile, Hegde said, Anna Hazare plans to convene a meeting of like-minded people by this month-end to put together a team and draw up a road-map for anti-graft crusade. Hegde, part of erstwhile Team Anna which was disbanded by the social activist recently, said Hazare told him of the plan when he met him during his week-long stay here for naturopathy treatment.

“He (Hazare) is going to call a meeting of all like-minded people by the end of this month and he will work out a strategy based on views expressed there (the meeting),” Hegde said here today. “It will draw up a road-map for the future,” he added.

“I think he will include more people (compared to erstwhile Team Anna),” he said. Asked if members of the erstwhile team would be part of the new one, Hegde said: “Must be, why would he (Hazare) exclude (them). That’s what he told me,” and added: “the new team may have different outlook.”

On whether the new team’s movement would be apolitical, he said, “That will be decided (at the meeting). That’s an issue that’s already there with people having different opinions about that.”