Yeddy Dumped

When B S Yeddyurappa became the chief minister, his big promise was, “My mantra will be development… development... development”. Cut to the present: His name has become synonymous with development, not that of the state but of his family. Yeddyurappa had been walking on minefields ever since the powerful Bellary Brothers revolted against him. Apart from mining he is accused of illegal land allotment and land denotification scams. A couple of unusual transactions, a bank name and a 11-digit account number mentioned in the books of a mining company led Lokayukta sleuths to the trail of the kickbacks which B S Yeddyurappa and his family members received from mining companies. These details, at first glance seemed mild, but has finaly led to the fall of the master survivor. His bold attempts at taking the kickbacks in the name of Prerana Education Trust in cheques from Jindal Steel Limited (JSW), reflects his self confidence and the powerful and unquestionable position in the state, of which even the BJP was scared off. Despite his fears about various land scam, he never imagined that illegal mining could take him down specially after reigning in the Reddy Brothers whose area of operation, Bellary, figured prominently in the report. Turning a blind eye to these allegations would have been political suicide for the BJP. It could have completely destroyed its anti- corruption campaign at the national level. The party should learn its lesson from the fate of DMK in Tamilnadu, and should not allow its regional satrap to dictate terms on the basis of lingayat vote banks. Karnataka’s electorate are equally smart and would quickly respond to outrageous corruption by ending its dream run in south. The BJP leadership should ensure that his successor is not only above reproach but also has the requisite political acumen and administrative capability to head the government
The Lokayukta report brings into perspective two other issues. First one is the need for mining to be reformed thoroughly. Mining now needs regulatory authorities and cannot be left at the supervision of civil servants, who have been found equally guilty of corruption. Another thing that has come clearly out of this report is that a strong Lokayukta can deliver his duties and we do not require a new kind of ombudsman with overarching powers for real effect. Since the topic of a strong Lokpal is being hotly debated at present, Justice Hegde serves as a shining example to all (coincidentally he is also a member of the civil society’s drafting committee). His example is strong enough to deliver the message that an upright and strong Lokpal with vigilant media, informed and mobilized citizens, and a fast paced criminal justice system will be more effective against corruption than anything else. Both civil society and the government can learn a few lessons from this.