Karnataka Lokayukta questions Yeddyurappa on parallel probe into land scam

HASSAN - Karnataka’s Lokayukta Justice N Santosh Hegde has questioned the state government and particularly Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa over the issue of a parallel investigation into land scam allegations, and said that he will complete the inquiry pending before him on the issue.

Interacting with reporters in Hassan on Friday, Hegde referred to a statement by Higher Education Minister V S Acharya that the inquiry by the Lokayukta pertained only to the denotification of land.

Hegde said he didn’t agree with that premise.

“Denotification is a question of integrity. The government shouldn’t have doubts about my honesty. I don’t have any personal concern in politics,” he said.

“If they don’t trust me, let them close the investigation office like Punjab and Haryana did overnight through an ordinance,” he said.

He added with sarcasm, “And then let them watch people’s reaction.”

Yeddyurappa had been accused of misusing his office to grant prime property in and around Bangalore to members of his family.

The Opposition in Karnataka, headed by former Karnataka Chief Minister and JD(S) leader H D Kumaraswamy had alleged that Yeddyurappa ’s family had sold Rs.20 crore worth of land and raised doubts about its ownership.

He also expressed doubts on whether the land sold by Yeddyurappa’s kin was owned by them, or was it denotified in their favour. He sought clarifications from them.

“Is the land their hereditary property? Let them prove it”, Kumaraswamy said asking the BJP high command “does it have guts to sack Yeddyurappa?

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), however, has decided that Yeddyurappa will continue as Chief Minister of Karnataka for the time being.

“After consultations with senior party leaders and state leaders, the party has decided to continue with Yeddyurappa as Chief Minister of Karnataka,” BJP president Nitin Gadkari said in a statement earlier this week.

“An environment of uncertainty has been created in Karnataka due to several allegations being made against Yeddyurappa. He has denied all these allegations and has offered his response to me and the media. He has also written to me giving his view point,” Gadkari said in his statement.

“With the panchayat elections around the corner, the party appeals to all its people to work for success of party. Meanwhile, the state government has constituted a commission of inquiry to look into the allegations made against him,” Gadkari said.

“I shall take adequate assistance to look into the same,” he concluded. (ANI)