Bangalore: The Governor of Karnataka, as vigilant as ever, told Pressmen on Wednesday that criminal elements were behind the Government campaign in favour of retired Judge S.R. Bannurmath as the next Lokayukta, while he would never appoint him.

These criminal forces were pressing CM DVS Gowda to toe their line to escape the noose made for them in Lokayukta Hegde’s final report.

Governor Bhardhwaj was speaking on Voters’ Day programme on January 25 held in city, and was categorical on his rejection of SRB as Lokayukta for various reasons, other than housing plots.
 
He would not allow criminals to go scot-free by wrongly choosing Judge Bannumath as next Lokayukta knowing fullywell that heerred in appoitingJudge chandrashekharaiah recently in hurry as2nd deputy Lokayukta, when the Judge was in possession of a large piece of housing plot meant for Judicial employers in a co-op society, since decades. He could not undo the error.