Mangaluru: Former Lokayukta Justice Santosh Hegde opined that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah should resign in connection with the allegations of his involvement in the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) scam.
Speaking on the sidelines of Mangalore University foundation day celebrations, he said the High Court ruled that the facts against Chief Minister Siddaramaiah would undoubtedly require an investigation. Hence, he should tender resignation.
He stated that the Chief Minister has the opportunity to fight legally, but from the public's perspective, resignation is appropriate.
“Siddaramaiah has claimed that he has done nothing wrong. But given the seriousness of the current allegations, a suitable decision must be made,” he said.
"He (Siddaramaiah) now claims that he will appeal the decision, but that's an entirely separate matter. Based on the findings of the judge, it seems evident that the Chief Minister is implicated in a scam-like issue, and his chances of obtaining a favorable outcome in the higher court are quite slim. Ideally, the case should be referred to the CBI or a similar agency. I hope that even the investigating agency will carry out its duties diligently," he added.
Hegde asked why is this sanction necessary for public servants? If a private citizen commits the same offense, no sanction is required if the complaint is sufficient for the court to proceed with the matter.
“The provision was introduced during British rule because, at that time, there was a movement to attain independence for the country. There was a suspicion that all cases would be filed against government servants, and to protect their own offices, they instituted this sanction power. Now, why should this be the case in a democratic setup? Just because they're public servants, why should the court protect them? In my opinion, this provision should be abolished, as public servants are not above the law of the land.”
Published 25 September 2024, 13:45 IST