The BJP has achieved the impossible by making the Lokayukta Santosh Hegde withdraw
his resignation, even while he had earlier vociferously declared like the Arjuna of
Mahabharata that there was no question of him going back on his decision.
Hegde who had failed to budge even while two state ministers and the party’s state chief
met him at his residence and pleaded to withdraw his resignation, was finally trapped in
the emotional net by the BJP using Advani.
Hegde announced the withdrawal of his resignation in an unbelievable development after
the Chief Minister and BJP’s national chief with a message from Advani, personally
knocked at his doors.
More than Santosh Hegde losing credibility, the foolishness of CM Yeddyurappa is
glaring in this entire drama. The CM could have very well averted all the uproar had he
visited the Lokayukta no sooner he resigned and agreed to fulfill all his demands, instead
of doing so on July 3, that too at the last minute. It was only when the BJP realized that
Hegde’s resignation wall all set erode the party’s image at the national level that Advani
and Gadkari intervened in order to avert a likely danger.
The Chief Minister by declaring at the Bangalore Press Club, the very day the Lokayukta
tendered his resignation that “I would not embarrass the Lokayukta by pressuring him to
withdraw his resignation†had failed to hide his pleasure. Even later, the CM went on
to argue that neither himself nor his party were responsible for Hegde’s resignation and
also saw to it that the Lokayukta was sufficiently targetted by his partymen. Now the very
same Yeddyurappa going to the doorsteps of the Lokayukta and saying “I will fulfill all
your demands, withdraw your resignation,†is a totally u-turn in the entire case.
The first major shock which Yeddyurappa gave to the people of the state was when he
ultimately succumbed to pressure from the Reddy brothers in order to save his chair even
while he had earlier declared that he would not bow to any pressure. When the state is
yet to recover from this shock, the CM has given yet another shock to the people in the
Lokayukta episode.
Now that the government has been successful in persuading the shy natured gentleman
judge Santosh Hegde, the question is – what next? Will it be able to fulfill all the demands
of the Lokayukta unconditionally? What Hegde had demanded was to appoint a Deputy
Lokayukta, to give more powers to the Lokayukta and to put a full stop to illegal mining.
If the government agrees to these three and issues orders to that effect, then the rest of the
demands including more staff and better facilities will automatically be fulfilled.
It is only when Yeddyurappa takes concerted steps to keep up his promises that the
withdrawal of Hegde’s resignation would prove fruitful. In case Hegde who has now
agreed to withdraw his resignation, heeding to Advani, decides to quit again, then it may
do an irreparable damage to the image of both the BJP and Yeddyurappa. Now all eyes
are on Yeddyurappa as to how quick he would be in fulfilling the promises made to the
Lokayukta right in the presence of the Party President
Will Palemar be out?
Now that Justice Santosh Hegde has withdrawn his resignation, it would be interesting
to see as to what action would the CM take against the Minister for Ports Krishna
Palemar who was the immediate reason for Hegde’s decision to quit, after he (Palemar)
recommended the suspension of an officer on charges of indiscipline despite being aware
that he was the officer who had been responsible for seizing the illegal ore as per the
orders of the Lokayukta.
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