Speaking to mediapersons in Mangalore on Saturday, Hegde said he will request Hazare not to undertake another hunger strike in case of delay in the implementation of the Jan Lokpal bill. It will be better if Hazare takes a countrywide tour and hold discussions with the public before going on fast. The people of this country respect him a lot.
Hegde said he does not have any difference of opinion with Anna Hazare. “We support Anna Hazare but do not trust the Centre. The more the allegations against Anna, the more stronger he turns,” Hegde said.
Hegde dismissed as “wholly incorrect” the media reports that he will not attend the Lokpal committee meeting because of his differences with Hazare about his hunger strike. In a statement, the Lokayukta said: “To prove that this is false, I will skip the programme in Mangalore (he was to open a Lokayukta office in Udupi) and will attend the meeting scheduled for June 21 in New Delhi.” He said if the meeting continued, he will make it very clear that “I have no difference of opinion in regard to Annaji’s fast. Mine was only a suggestion. I stand by him in all his endeavours against corruption.”
Hegde said he will actively fight against corruption once he retires from his Lokayukta post on August 2. In Bangalore, Hegde said the failure of the Lokpal draft committee meeting with the Centre has not detered the spirit of civil society to fight against corruption.
He was speaking to reporters on the sidelines of a state-level conference “Samvit—a Potency of Knowledge” organised by the Bangalore branch of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India to mark its golden jubilee celebrations. Hegde said the fight against corruption will continue and urged the people to be a part of the movement.
On Congress leaders’ criticism that some civil society members have been influenced by the saffron brigade, he said: “When you oppose something, you are bound to face such allegations.”
Earlier, speaking at the inauguration of the golden jubilee, Justice Hegde expressed concern over the increasing cases of corruption in the country and said “there were a few corrupt people in the early 50s, but now they have been replaced by honest people.”
Stating that corruption can be prevented in the country, he alleged that the government is trying to exclude the prime minister and judiciary from the ambit of the Lokpal bill. “The prime minister is already under the purview of investigating agency,” he added.