The former Prime Minister, H.D. Deve Gowda, has come out in defence of father-son duo Shanti Bhushan and Prashant Bhushan, saying he had no doubt about their integrity.
“I have no doubt about their intent or integrity and am confident that they would emerge clean from the mudslinging campaign against them,” Mr. Gowda told journalists here on Friday.
Mr. Gowda, who is also the president of the Janata Dal (Secular), said the Bhushans were taking up the cause of probity and transparency in public life and judiciary and their capabilities as “eminent jurists” were beyond doubt.
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He appealed to everyone not to derail this “great golden opportunity” of drafting and bringing about the much-needed and highly effective Lokpal Bill by raising petty issues that were totally irrelevant to the ongoing process. Any such attempt to divert the focus from the Bill, which was pending for over four decades, would only serve to strengthen the hands of the vested interests, who wanted to dilute the process.
Mr. Gowda appealed to the former Supreme Court Judge and Karnataka Lokayukta, Santosh Hegde, not to quit from the drafting committee of the Lokpal Bill. “I can very well appreciate the hurt and pain caused to the renowned jurist [Justice Hegde] due to the vilification campaign against the anti-corruption panel.”
Justice Hegde had never hesitated from calling a spade a spade and he remained an outstanding crusader against corruption, whether it is committed by the BJP government in Karnataka or the UPA government at the Centre. Not only the civil society and intelligentsia but also the common man were inspired by his avowed commitment and conviction to fight corruption.
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