Justice N. Santosh Hegde, the Lok Ayukta of Karnataka who has returned to office kicking and screaming after being persuaded by the “former future prime minister of India“, Shri Lalchand Kishinchand Advani, has penned a “rare first person account” in the latest issue of Tehelka magazine, about his battle against illegal mining and the plot to make him quit.
The penultimate paragraph has these priceless words.
“If I have to sympathise with any party, it would have to be the BJP because my father was a vice-president of the BJP in his last days. I represented L.K. Advani and Atal Bihari Vajpayee when they were imprisoned here (in Bangalore) during the Emergency.
“But honesty prevails today.
“I have no political sympathies or favourites.
“The BJP symbol, the lotus, grows in muck. I have to believe now that the people of BJP also come from muck. Apart from wanting to continue as chief minister, this person [B.S. Yediyurappa] seeks the support of affluent people and I am not sure if he is uninterested in the mining transactions.”
Before the backpedalling begins, a brief message from Claud Cockburn: “Never believe anything until it is officially denied.”
Screenshot: courtesy Tehelka
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Life is such a bitch. Who is the hero and who is the villain of the piece? It was nice and easy just a few decades ago when I knew who is who – circa Bofors. Now it is all muddied up and it’s exasperatingly difficult to figure out the good guy from the bad one and then roll back into insouciance.
Hegde was growing greyer in my view and then this piece in Tehelka. I am confused again. May be the guy has noble intentions and possibly has integrity. I would go by this assessment for the moment.
But the happy part is I am sure I am not alone in this pool of confusion. Several folks who dissed this guy by floating dark stories of his proximity to opposition and his deliberate timing of resignation to poop the party (sadhana samavesha) are confused like hell and slowly picking up their jaws from the ground when our man invoked papa Advani’s name.
That spectacle is indeed worth this INR 2500 crore scam!
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Anshuman:
>Who is the hero and who is the villain of the piece?
I think Mr. Hegde got caught up in unnecessary sentimentality. Perhaps Advani evoked the name and good relations with his dad, and perhaps even the old affinity when he represented Mr. Advani during emergency, and he made such senseless statements. But, he realized how silly it was:
http://www.dnaindia.com/bangalore/report_forgive-me-for-i-ve-erred-lokayukta-tells-people_1405913
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This is no saint, as is being portrayed in the media. I was going through one of the interview, here is what he has to say about his appointment
Even Kumaraswamy must have thought when he appointed me, ‘I got some waste man’.
This guy is full of himself, granted kumarswamy may be L-board, but do Gowda not know his family history. So after knowing all his past they appointed him, what does he have to say… see how clever me…and so dumb these guys were….. Oh it does not stop there…
Within three months I asked two of his ministers to be removed from the Cabinet.
Wow…Shabash, now have a chocolate.
This kind of mature person he is. As the saying goes, Indians consider mauna swami wise, but the moment maun swami opens his mouth, the assumption is shattered.
Shame hegde seems to be from the same muck.
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BJP-protected racketeers are now safe, at least for while. What will we do if the Mine Mafia, the Land Mafia, the KPSC mafia, the Liquour Mafia and a whole bunch of other M’s fade away into obscurity?
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@Khan:
mosaralli kallu hudukuvudu bidi khan avare.!
You people never change!!
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Khan:
>This is no saint, as is being portrayed in the media.
No saint can survive the cesspool of a Govt./Judicial posting. But, an honest, foolhardy, and headstrong (arrogant?) person may. We know TN Seshan, Venkatachala etc. were all very arrogant, but even their enemies didn’t allege corruption or question their intent.
As to his statements abt kumaraswamy – It was unnecessary. In fact, shooting his mouth off (a la seshan/venkatachala) seems to be natural for him! He might loose with his mouth, what he gains with his sincerity.
Perhaps he has realized that with Advani comment.
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Alva kanu,
This is not about fault finding, but the drama this guy is orchestrating for few. When this guy has the audacity……hmmm honesty/power to remove two minister from HDK ministry, whats preventing him now. Don’t tell me there are none corrupt or yeddi/ reddy wash their sin through daily through archa verchana, that our honest hegde can’t lay his hand, so offered his resignation instead.
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Khan:
>mmm honesty/power to remove two minister from HDK ministry
He didn’t say he has the honesty/power to remove ministers. he just said, he is no one’s toy – and advices as he feels fit.
For all his shouting, Lokayukta has atleast got some sou-motu powers now. Otherwise, this – Mired in Mining – BJP govt. would’ve done nothing to prevent the descent of Karnataka into ‘the most corrupt’ state in India.
perhaps it already is…
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Harkol,
You are still defending the indefensible.
If he can advise kumarswamy to remove two ministers, why did he not do the same now. Why did he decided to tender his resignation, and make a drama only to take it back.
Is it their govt and our govt at play?? or he just wanted to cut some deal through all that drama and really not interested in calling the corrupt ministers out.
Whichever way look at it, hegde is not fit for the chair now. All that sou moto power and all was infact what kumarswamy recommended long back.
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Khan:
>or he just wanted to cut some deal through all that drama
That was the case for sure. He wanted some deal, but question is was it something for himself or for the institution of Lokayukta.
He is from DK district, and from all accounts I have heard, he isn’t corrupt. hegde’s are wealthy, his brother is super rich and runs the Nitte group of Institutions. But, Santosh hegde always kept has nothing to do with the businesses of his brother and has lived a humble life.
But, one never knows.
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