Karnataka - Bangalore   

Congress for Lokayukta probe into land scam

BANGALORE: The Congress in the State said the investigation into the allegations of land scam levelled against Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa and his kin should be conducted by the Lokayukta and not by the Commission of Inquiry set up by the State Government.

Addressing a press conference here on Sunday, Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee president G. Parameshwar and Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Assembly Siddaramaiah said the party stood firmly behind the Lokayukta's decision to carry out the investigation into the complaints of “abuse of power, favouritism, nepotism and corruption” levelled against the Chief Minister.

Referring to the recent utterances of a few BJP MLAs against the Lokayukta and their threat to stage a demonstration, Mr. Siddaramaiah accused the Chief Minister of resorting to “blackmail” tactics to pressure Santosh Hegde to withdraw from the probe and submit his resignation to the post.

Mr. Siddaramaiah appealed to Mr. Hegde not to succumb to the pressure tactics of Mr Yeddyurappa. “The entire Congress will stand by you,” he assured Mr Hegde.

Though the Congress was not opposed to the setting up of the judicial commission by the State Government to probe the land scams, Mr. Siddaramaiah said the commission could investigate the cases between 1995 and 2008. “Let the Lokayukta investigate the complaints against Mr. Yeddyurappa during his tenure as Chief Minister”, the Congress leader suggested.

Mr. Siddaramaiah accused Mr Yeddyurappa of “harassing” the Lokayukta, who had withdrawn his resignation submitted a few months ago following the intervention of senior BJP leader L K Advani.

Mr. Parameshwar said the Chief Minister, by seeking the status of seven specific cases out of the thousands pending before the Lokayukta, had clearly sent a signal to Mr. Hegde that he should “back off” from the probe into the land scam.

The Chief Minister, who returned to a rousing welcome from Delhi after receiving a fresh lease of life, asked his children to vacate his official residence. “Nowhere did he (Mr Yeddyurappa) say that he would keep corruption out. He only said he would keep his kin out”, Mr Parameshwara added.

Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Council Motamma was present.

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