Former Karnataka Lokayukta, Justice Santosh Hegde, called on Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to resign following the Karnataka High Court's recent decision in the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) site allotment case. Speaking to reporters in Mangaluru on Wednesday, September 25, Santosh said the CM should step down in the interest of public propriety, even if the law does not demand it.
“Legally, there is nothing wrong if Mr. Siddaramaiah does not resign. But in terms of propriety, Siddaramaiah should resign. Whether to resign or not is left to the individual,” said Santosh. His remarks come a day after the Karnataka High Court upheld the Governor's sanction for an investigation into alleged illegalities involving the allotment of 14 MUDA sites to the Chief Minister’s wife, Parvathi Siddaramaiah.
Santosh pointed out that while Siddaramaiah has maintained his innocence, the High Court has found sufficient grounds for an investigation. "Before the High Court judgement, he said he had done no wrong. But now the High Court has said that there is prima facie evidence. Hence, I think the CM should resign," Santosh said.
Recalling the resignation of former Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri in 1956 when he was the Railway Minister, after two train accidents in Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu, Santosh Hegde said, "Such a sense of responsibility is lacking today."
Referring to the High Court’s rejection of Siddaramaiah’s application challenging the Governor's sanction to prosecute him, Santosh added, "Seeing the observations made by the single judge, it is highly unlikely he will get a favourable order in higher courts."
Santosh refrained from commenting on whether the investigation should be handed over to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) or the Lokayukta.
Santosh also critiqued the necessity of requiring the Governor’s sanction to prosecute politicians and bureaucrats, calling it an outdated practice inherited from the British colonial era. "When an ordinary citizen can be prosecuted without any sanction, why should politicians get such protection? Let the courts protect them. Even false cases can be filed against ordinary citizens, not just politicians," he said, urging the abolition of this privilege.
While serving as the Lokayukta of Karnataka, Santosh Hegde investigated illegal mining in the state and submitted a report to the Supreme Court in July 2011. His findings were instrumental in prompting BS Yediyurappa to resign as Chief Minister the same year.