Congress leader B. Janardhan Poojary on Sunday demanded a judicial inquiry by a judge High Court judge into the phenomenon of political leaders falling ill whenever they are to be sent to jail.
Mr. Poojary told presspersons here that the former Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa developed chest pain when he was remanded in judicial custody on Saturday. Similarly, Mr. Yeddyurappa's close associate S.N. Krishnaiah Setty fainted when he was awaiting arrest.
Stating that they had no illness when they were allegedly committing offences against the law, he demanded to know why all of them were suddenly developing health problems. He said these were “novel” means to escape judicial custody . He was critical of the “special treatment” being given to the former Chief Minister in jail. The jail cell allotted to the former Chief Minister contained an attached bathroom, a television set, and a table. However, Mr. Yeddyurappa was shifted to the ICU of the Jayadeva Institute of Cardiology after he complained of chest pain.
Referring to senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader L.K. Advani's rath yatra , Mr. Poojary said that if the former had “any morality”, he should demand that Mr. Yeddyurappa be expelled from the party for the “grave allegations” he was facing. Lashing out at the former Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy for “suddenly becoming compassionate” towards Mr. Yeddyurappa, he said it was because Mr. Kumaraswamy and his wife had also been charged by the Lokayukta .
