Bangalore:
Soon after getting a notice from Lokayukta Santosh Hegde's office on the controversial denotification of land that benefitted his sons, Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa seems to have changed tack.
Today he issued a statement saying, "Yesterday, I heard about a section of my party MLAs calling a press conference to demand an apology from the honourable Lokayukta over charges against me. I was deeply saddened. The office of the Lokayukta is one of great pride. I appeal that henceforth, no BJP MLA or leader should give out any statement that brings down the dignity of this office."
Meanwhile, Justice Santosh Hegde today said he will not be give up the investigation into the allegations of corruption into land deals involving the Chief Minster's family.
"So far as I am concerned, I am of the legal opinion that the government cannot take away an investigation that is with the office of the Lokayukta, and hand it over to a commission of inquiry, without the prior consent of the Lokayukta. Here is a case where the person against whom the complaint is given is trying to choose a forum. This is not done," says Hegde.
Hegde reiterated that he regretted his decison of taking back his resignation.
"In retrospect, I made a mistake by taking back my resignation. I think I would not have been in the dilemma that I am in today. But it's too late, I can't go on resigning and coming back," he had told NDTV on Saturday.
(Read: 'Regret taking back my resignation')He had resigned in July and withdrew only after a promise from senior BJP leader LK Advani that he would be given a freehand.
(Read: Karnataka Lokayukta withdraws his resignation)The latest confrontation between Justice Hegde and the Yeddyurappa government has been over a Commission of Inquiry being freshly set up to handle cases of land scams. These are the cases that almost brought Yeddyurappa's government down.