Thaindian News

New Delhi, July 3 (IANS) Senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader L.K. Advani Saturday urged Karnataka’s Lok Ayukta N. Santosh Hegde to withdraw his resignation.
In a statement here, Advani, who is chairman of the BJP parliamentary party, said if Hegde had any concerns as Lok Ayukta, the BJP state government would address these earnestly.

“I have known Justice Santosh Hegde for a long time. He is an eminent jurist for whom all of us have great respect. As Lokayukta of Karnataka, if he has certain concerns, I am sure the state government will address them earnestly. I appeal to him to kindly withdraw his resignation,” Advani said.

Hegde, a retired Supreme Court judge, quit as Lok Ayukta last month in frustration over what he said was the state government’s indifference to fighting corruption.

BJP ministers and leaders from Karnataka had met Hegde Friday to persuade him to reconsider his resignation but failed.

State party chief K.S. Eshwarappa led a delegation of Home Minister V.S. Acharya, Law Minister S. Suresh Kumar and IT Minister Katta Subramanya Naidu to Hegde’s residence to urge him to stay back.

However, Hegde stuck to his stand that his resignation was final and he would not change his decision.

The decision of the BJP to make an effort to persuade Hegde was a climbdown as Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa had indicated to reporters a day after the ombudsman’s resignation that he will not make any effort to persuade the former apex court judge to stay on.