Karnataka Lokayukta withdraws resignation

Karnataka Lokayukta (ombudsman) N Santosh Hegde on Saturday announced his withdrawal of resignation following an appeal by senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders L K Advani and national party president Nitin Gadkari, who assured that his demands for more powers to curb corruption would be met.

"He (Advani) is like a father figure to me. I cannot go against his word," said Hegde.

Hegde had quit on June 23 from his post of Lokayukta saying he was frustrated at the state government's indifference to fight corruption.

"Tomorrow if Governor H R Bhardwaj, with whom my resignation is pending gives me time, I will meet him and withdraw my resignation," Hegde told a press conference at his residence in the presence of Gadkari and Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa.

Hegde took pains to explain that no political meaning should be read into his withdrawing of resignation now while he had firmly rejected appeals of Union Home Minister P Chidambaram and the Karnataka governor to do so.

Gadkari, who arrived here today on a two-day visit, drove to Hegde's residence along with Yeddyurappa to assure him that all his suggestions would be implemented by the state government. "Our party's stand is that action will be taken against all those involved in illegal activities, howsoever powerful they may be and whichever party they may belong to," said Gadkari. He was responding to questions on Reddy brothers, the powerful mining barons and ministers in the Yeddyurappa cabinet.

"I do not want to quote anybody's name, but we will take steps to check illegal activities," he asserted.

Hegde said Advani had called him in the morning and told him to reconsider the resignation because the BJP government in Karnataka was ready to consider his demands.

On suo motu powers, Hegde said he has been assured that it would be granted. "I have not fixed any timeframe for it. Sometimes you have to believe the government. If assurances are not fulfilled, you know the consequences. The door is open to come in and the door is also open to go out," said Hegde.

"Chidambaram and several others had asked me to withdraw the resignation. But emotionally they (the appeals) were not strong enough for me to withdraw. When Advani says, I cannot but accept it," he said, recalling the long association of the senior leader with his father, the late K S Hegde.

The senior Hegde was a Supreme Court judge who quit when he was superceded by his junior as Chief Justice of India. He later joined he BJP, was its vice president and also served as Speaker of Lok Sabha.

Both Gadkari and Yeddyurappa expressed happiness at Hegde's decision and said they have assured of implementing his suggestions and meeting the demands.

Yeddyurappa said: "We have assured Hegde of full cooperation in investigating the mining matter. There is no intention to support the wrong-doers."

Hegde's resignation was triggered by the demand of Ports Minister J Krishna Palemar to suspend Deputy Conservator of Forests R Gokul who had seized in February about 850,000 tonnes of illegally stored iron ore at Belekeri port in North Karnataka district.