Lambasting the United Progressive Alliance government for hitting out at social crusaders like Anna Hazare and Ramdev, Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa on Monday challenged it to dissolve the Lok Sabha and face mid-term elections.
Karnataka Lokayukta N Santosh Hegde on Friday expressed unhappiness over Bharatiya Janata Party President Nitin Gadkari's accusation that he was 'acting like an opposition leader', saying he failed to understand why he said so.
A crucial meeting of the Bharatiya Janata Party legislature party, chaired by B S Yeddyurappa, will be held at 4:30 am on Friday at Hotel Ashok.
A last ditch attempt by the Bharatiya Janata Party to refrain Lokayukta Justice Santosh Hegde from resigning has failed. State BJP unit chief K S Eshwarappa, Home Minister Dr V S Acharya and Law Minister Suresh Kumar met Justice Hegde and asked him to reconsider his decision, but the Lokayukta averred that he will not change his mind.
After disbanding his team, Anna Hazare is working on plans to stitch a new team in the crusade against corruption for which he has convened a meeting of like-minded people by the end of this month.
Karnataka Lokayukta Justice Santosh Hegde has decided to withdraw his resignation."If Governor H R Bhardwaj gives me an appointment, I will meet him on Sunday to withdraw my resignation," Hegde told reporters on Saturday.The top anti-corruption official had resigned to protest the Bharatiya Janata Party-led state government's inaction about several of his reports, specially the one about the illegal mining lobby operating in Karnataka.
Retired Karnataka High Court Judge S B Majage was sworn as the state's Upalokayukta at a brief ceremony at the Raj Bhavan in Bengaluru. The Upalokayukta post had been lying vacant for seven months.
Governor H R Bhardwaj has cleared the name of Patil, who had earlier served as Chief Justice of Rajasthan High Court as well as Acting Chairman of the National Human Rights Commission, Raj Bhavan sources said.
In an interview with Rediff.com's Vicky Nanjappa, Karnataka Lokayukta Santosh Hegde, one of the members of the Joint Drafting Committee if the Lokpal Bill, sets the record straight on why the talks broke down.
Former Karnataka Lokayukta N Santosh Hegde on Monday favoured handing over the probe into illegal mining in the state to the Central Bureau of Investigation, maintaining that the Obalapuram Mining Company owned by former minister G Janardhana Reddy indulged in such activity.
While the Karnataka Lokayukta Justice Santosh Hegde gives final touches to the illegal mining report, the people of Bellary say they are not bothered, and Chief Minister Yeddyurappa is on a mission to save his chair yet again. Vicky Nanjappa revisits Lokayukta's first report that came out in April 2010, and dealt with the pathetic living conditions in Bellary.
Meetings of the joint drafting committee on Lokpal bill slated for June 20 and 21 would be a mere formality with little scope for discussion, Karnataka Lokayukta and a member of the panel Santosh Hegde said on Thursday.
Karnataka Lokayukta Justice N Santosh Hegde on Friday dismissed as 'totally wrong' reports that he has named External Affairs Minister S M Krishna in his report on illegal mining in the state.
Contending that corruption can no longer be ignored and the voice of 'aam-aadmi' should now be heard, former Karnataka Lokayukta N Santosh Hegde on Sunday expressed confidence that public support for Anna Hazare and his campaign would continue until his demands are met by the government.
Karnataka Lokayukta and a member of the Lokpal Bill drafting committee Santosh Hegde on Saturday said he was apprehensive about the final outcome of the proposed bill as it could be a watered down version of what was originally envisaged.
The stand-off between Karnataka government and Lokayukta Justice N Santosh Hegde over the legality of ordering a judicial probe into land scams showed no sign of abating with the Ombudsman questioning the former's contention.
Problems for Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa continued with the Congress lodging a complaint against him and his sons in connection with a land scam on Friday.
Contrary to what has been said a couple of weeks back, the Karnataka government has written to the Lokayukta that it is on course to initiate action based on the report on illegal mining.
Karnataka Lokayukta N Santosh Hegde said the need to obtain sanction from a competent authority to prosecute public servants in cases of corruption is weakening the fight against corruption in the country.
Holding Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yeddyurapppa responsible for the alleged telephone tapping of Lokayukta N Santosh Hegde, Congress on Friday demanded his immediate resignation and a Central Bureau of Investigation probe into the episode.
Karnataka Governor H R Bhardwaj said on Wednesday that he is not asking the Lokayukta Justice Santosh Hegde, to submit to him his final report on illegal mining in the State.
Karnataka minister for tourism and mining magnate Janardhan Reddy has decided to hang his boots as an industrialist for good.
Lokayutka of Karnataka Justice Santosh Hegde said that the proposal made by Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa to give suo motu powers to the Lokayukta to investigate all public servants except the chief minister, ministers, legislators and public servants nominated by the government, neither makes him happy nor sad.
Expressing doubts over the state government implementing his report on the mining scam in Karnataka, state Lokayukta Justice N Santosh Hegde on Saturday said his only hope was the Supreme Court.
Former Karnataka Lokayukta Justice N Santosh Hegde on Wednesday suggested that corporates and NGOs should also be brought under the purview of the Jan Lokpal bill.
The Bharatiya Janata Party leadership tried to influence Karnataka Lokayukta Justice Santosh Hegde against mentioning Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa's name in the mining report that is all set to be released in July. "I was told by BJP leader Dhananjay Kumar (former Union minister from Mangalore) to go soft on Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa while preparing the report on illegal mining," said Justice Hegde.
Team Anna member N Santosh Hegde on Friday blamed all political parties for non-passage of the Lokpal Bill in the Rajya Sabha, saying it was "choreographed by everybody".
Lokayukta Justice Santosh Hegde, the ombudsman battling corruption in Karnataka is impressed with the manner in which Anna Hazare has taken on the government this time. Here are a few excerpts from a freewheeling chat with Vicky Nanjappa:
Putting an end to speculations on Saturday, Justice Hegde told rediff.com, "It is one of the most ridiculous rumours I have ever heard. On the one hand, I have been accused of being the one responsible for B S Yeddyurappa stepping down as chief minister because of my mining report. Now Yeddyurappa has rejoined the BJP and immediately the news floats that I too would be joining the same party. Does this not sound funny to you?
'I thought AAP will uphold administrative fairness which is not there. And it is an indication of the fact that power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely'
In an interview with rediff.com's Vicky Nanjappa, the Karnataka Lokayukta makes it clear that he would not make life miserable for the Bharatiya Janata Party just because the Congress wants him to do it.
Karnataka Lokayukta Justice N Santosh Hegde on Saturday issued a notice to Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa on a complaint against him about denotification of lands.Earlier on Saturday, the Lokayukta expressed regret over his decision to withdraw his resignation over the government's inaction about the massive corruption in the state. While addressing the media at Bengaluru on Saturday, Justice Hegde said that he cannot now undo what has been done and he cannot resign again.
Vicky Nanjappa goes through Karnataka Lokayukta Justice Santosh Hegde's explosive report on illegal mining in the state and reveals damning figures of corruption.
The Karnataka high court on Monday directed former chief minister B S Yeddyurappa to place before it the report prepared by Dr U V Singh, the state's chief conservator of forests, on the basis of which the Lokayukta report had been prepared.
The Karnataka government has suspended 40 officials and staff and issued show-cause notices to 257 who have been named by Lokayukta reports in illegal mining in Karnataka, Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar said.
Karnataka Lokayukta Justice Santosh Hegde's report on illegal mining in the state is expected to be submitted any time now. Going by the 'leaks' from the Lokayukta's office, the report implicates around 600 figures, including Chief Minister BS Yeddyurappa.
The Congress on Thursday demanded a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation probe into the mining scam exposed by the Lokayukta report, charging the Bharatiya Janata Party government of trying to shield the guilty. Seeking to move an adjournment motion in the Legislative Assembly, Leader of Opposition Siddaramaiah (Congress), said the (then) Lokayukta, Justice Santosh Hegde submitted his interim report on illegal mining in December 2008.
Ahead of the crucial Lokayukta report on illegal mining in Karnataka which will be submitted before the chief secretary on Wednesday morning, Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa has sought the intervention of the Gods.
The Foundation for Democratic Reforms and Lok Satta, along with some organisations will arrange a round table conference in New Delhi on April 24. The conference is for a consensus on the creation of a powerful and independent Lok Pal at the national level and Lokayuktas in states.
Justice Santosh Hegde has become a very popular face at the protests against corruption at Freedom Park in Bengaluru.
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