Ahead of illegal mining report,Cong targets Hegde

Senior Congress leaders Janardhan Poojary and B K Hariprasad have over the last couple of weeks questioned the functioning of Hegde — also a member of the Lokpal Bill drafting committee — and accused him of shielding Chief Minister Yeddyurappa and the BJP government.

On June 6,Poojary questioned the Karnataka Lokayukta’s presence on the drafting committee for Lokpal Bill when several matters related to corruption in Karnataka remained pending. “I have a lot of respect for the Lokayukta but he should know that he is also answerable to the public. Why is he on the drafting panel and not addressing his duties as a Lokayukta?’’ Poojary asked.

Hegde,when questioned about Poojary’s stance,said: I would not like to react to such comments’’. “He is a lawyer. He should know better about legal issues. It’s his government that has approved my appointment to drafting committee,’’ he said.

“The reasons for all these parties targeting me will be clear after the submission of the final report on mining.”

AICC member Hariprasad said the delays in the completion of the mining report would indirectly help the BSY government. He added that Hegde’s loyalties were under suspicion since he withdrew his resignation last year at the behest of BJP leader L K Advani,whom he considered a father-figure.

The BJP,meanwhile,sprang to the defence of the Lokayukta with BSY expressing anger over the statements of Congress leaders. “The Congress is worried its leaders involved in illegal mining will be exposed. That is why people like Hariprasad are attacking the Lokayukta. We have,however,full faith in the integrity of the Lokayukta,’’ Yeddyurappa’s political secretary B J Puttaswamy said.

Speaking for the JD-S,former chief minister H D Kumaraswamy said Congress leaders were denigrating constitutional heads. “The BJP and the Congress are equally responsible for corruption in the country,” he said.