Congress said the BJP government in Karnataka should immediately take steps to persuade Justice Santosh Hegde to reconsider his decision to resign from the post of Lokayukta in the state.
The party also demanded a probe into the alleged “nexus” between “the mining lobby and BJP leaders“.
“We demand that there should be a probe into the nexus between mining lobby and the BJP leaders and the party at all levels. The state government should immediately take steps to persuade Justice Hegde to reconsider his decision,” party spokesperson Jayanthi Natarajan told reporters here.
The spokesperson expressed “shock and concern” over the resignation of the state Lokayukta saying he was a person of highest integrity and stature.
Natarajan said that Hegde has expressed his unwillingness to continue in the post due to “obstructive and uncooperative” attitude of the state government.
She said Justice Hegde, who has been a crusader against corruption and has won the respect of all sections for his tremendous contribution as a Lokayukta, cited several instances, in particular the suspension of an honest officer who exposed the theft of iron ore belonging to the state worth over Rs 250 crore.
“We are shocked that the Karnataka government in violation of all probity is penalising honest officers and protecting and reinstating corrupt officers thereby leading to rampant corruption in the state,” Natarajan said.
