Congress Leader Ex-MP Vinay Kumar Sorake Speaking on Lokayukta issue

25.06.10 Mangalore : A large number of Congress demonstrators and common citizens of DK dt/ Mangalore city attended a protest meeting today morning, arranged by leading Congressmen of the coast, like Vinay Kumar Sorake (ex-MP), U.T. Khader (MLA) and Iven D’Souza (lawyer) against BJP government of B.S. Yeddyurappa for saying “good bye”: to state Lokayukta N. Santosh Hegde in Bangalore on Thursday, when Justice Hegde’s resignation had not even been accepted by Governor Hans Raj Bhardwaj, who while pleading with Justice Hegde to reconsider his decision and refusing to accept his resignation from 31-03-2010 as stated by the outgoing Lokayukta, Dr. N. Santosh Hegde. The protest took place at DCO gates where a farmer Gregory Patrao who lost his ancestral house and 14 acres of agricultural property to the domineering KIADB, is observing a relay fast from 10 Am to 6Pm daily since 8 days, in pouring rains. The DC has not office compound in the last 8 or 9 days. The Congress leaders were demanding that the BJP Govt request the state Lokayukta to withdraw his resignation letter given to state Governor HR Bhardwaj the other day.
Speaking on the occasion, former MP, Vinay Kumar Sorake, said Karnataka has earned the bad name for having the worst corrupt BJP leaders in India as a whole. The level of department and political corruption in Bangalore can be seen from the circumstances under which Justice Hegde was forced to put in his papers on June 23, because of his honesty and integrity, and BJP’s eagerness to say “Good Bye” to a Judge of his sterling character. BJP MLAs are sacrificing one who has pulled the curtain from the faces of many corrupt officers and ministers. 4 or 5 of them (including coastal ones) have pulled down the gentle and smiling Lokayukta who did no wrong to aright person. The BJP legislators are clever in doing a Dusshasana job and secure brides from rich persons to do their works. BJP leaders are afraid of Justice Hegde’s position which may expose their true colours, and therefore they denied proper co-operation to the Lokayukta in his duties.

Speaking after Sorake, Lawyer Kallige Taranath Shetty stated that the stat govt did not give any respect to the Ombudsman of Karnataka all those months. There were several sufferers in Uttar Kannada district who lost their all in Sept 2009 floods, and still living in temporary unsafe sheds, but the state govt, collected Rs. 500 crores for their sake on Padayatras from benefactors and did not construct permanent homes for the flood affected farmers and others there.

Following the lawyer speaker, Ullal MLA U.T. Khader in his address said that a devoted vigilance officer has been forced to lose his job by the BJP govt, which has shown its vicious wolf head inside a goat – like make – up, and exposed its own lack of merits. The CM should immediately meet the Lokayukta and get his consent to continue on duty, by tendering an apology, said MLA and Congress leaders U.T. Khader.

Congress workers continued to shout slogans against BJP ministers at this stage, demanding that CM apologies to the unhappy Lokayukta, to wash away their black deeds and the stains on Karnataka as the most corrupt state in India.
Lawyer Ivan D’Souza, Suresh Ballal, Moideen Bawa, Ms. Hilda Alva. Sashidhar Hegde, Kodijal Ibrahim, M. G Hegde, M.Ashraf among several other Congress leaders attended the protest rally against BJP in pouring rains at the DCO gates on Today.