Bangalore : Karnataka Lokayukta Santosh Hegde has withdrawn his resignation after BJP chief Nitin Gadkari and Karnataka Chief Minister Yeddyurappa met him on Saturday.
Hegde had resigned last month citing corruption in Yeddyurappa government.
Senior BJP leader L K Advani had also asked Hegde to withdraw resignation.
Addressing the mediapersons after meeting Gadkari, Hegde said, “When Advaniji advises, I have to obey.”
“If Governor H R Bhardwaj gives me appointment, I will meet him tomorrow to withdraw my resignation”, he added.
Advani had met him earlier on Saturday to appeal him to withdraw his resignation.
“I appeal to him to kindly withdraw his resignation,” Advani said in a statement.
Hegde had alleged that there was rampant corruption in Karnataka, including in the government, which was making it difficult for him to function and submitted his resignation.
He took on corrupt officers, conducted raids and booked even a ruling party BJP MLA Sampangi for taking bribes. But those, his team raided, were often reinstated in the same post from which they were suspended without consulting him and they were sometimes even rewarded.
“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, he has certain concerns, I am sure the state government of Karnataka will address them earnestly,” Advani said.
There were requests from several quarters, including from Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa and Union Home Minister P Chidambaram, to Hegde asking him to take back his resignation.