Karnataka Governor slams Yeddyurappa again

Mtoday news

New Delhi, Dec 05: Karnataka Governor HR Bhardwaj targeted Chief Minister BS Yeddyurappa once again, says the BJP government is trying to deflect attention from land scams by suggesting a judicial probe.

 

Bhardwaj has accused the government of diverting attention from the multi-crore land scam by suggesting a judicial probe. After coming under heavy attack, Yeddyurappa announced that a judicial commission will investigate cases against him. Yeddyurappa is accused of illegally allotting government land to family and friends at throw away prices.

Earlier, Karnataka’s Lokayukta Santosh Hegde who has been probing the land scam for the past two years had also slammed the government for the same reason.

Unless they had taken prior approval of mine and consulted with me, they cannot transfer this pending enquiry from the Lokayukta to any other Commission of Inquiry even under the Commission of Inquiry Act.

Karnataka Lokayukta Santosh Hegde raised objections to state government’s decision to order a judicial probe against Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa,.who is facing serious allegations of illegal allotment of government land, particularly favouring his sons and other relatives. Justice Hegde says he had begun a probe nearly two months back and will not be sharing any evidence with the judicial commission.

But Yeddyurappa government contents that the judicial probe covered a wider gamut of issues and the Central Act under which the inquiry has been ordered supersedes the state Lokayukta Act- making it amply clear that the Lokayukta and Government are heading for a fresh collision over land scam probe.

This comes just four days after Yeddyurappa announced that retired High Court judge B Padmaraj will head the commission to investigate the land scam. The JD(S) too has refused to cooperate with a judicial probe, alleging that Justice Padmaraj himself has received plots of land illegally from the government.



Yeddy seeks divine help to ward off detractors


Facing opposition onslaught over alleged land scams, Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa, who sought divine blessings by taking part in a yagna at a Tamil Nadu temple, asserted that he will complete his tenure.

 

Yeddyurappa, who had been going through one crisis after another in his two years in power, performed ’Sathru Samhara Yagam’ to ward off troubles from detractors at the Lord Subramanyaswamy temple in Tiruchendur in Tuticorin district yesterday, temple sources said.

Later yesterday, Yeddyurappa offered prayers at the famous Meenakshi Sundareswarar temple in Madurai.

A frequent temple visitor and a generous donor, Yeddyurappa announced Rs one crore grant for a guest house being built by the Tiruchendur temple.

At the height of the political crisis last month when BJP leadership contemplated removing him from his post Yeddyurappa had rushed to Vaishodevi temple in Jammu to pray for his continuance as Karnataka Chief Minister besides seeking the blessings of Sri Satya Sai Baba.