BENGALURU: An indefinite hunger strike by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) demanding dismantling of ACB and strengthening of the Lokayukta completed three days on Friday. Former Lokayukta Justice N. Santosh Hegde also took part in the protest on Friday.
Justice Hegde said that the people in the state have lost faith in the person who had occupied the post of Lokayukta previously, but not in the Lokayuktha institution. “The government is trying to fool the people by wrongly interpreting that the people have lost faith in the Lokayukta,” he criticised.
Social activist S.R. Hiremath, who also took part and supported the protest, said that the government has turned deaf to people’s problems and that the chief minister is busy protecting the corrupt, instead of taking care of the interests of the people, who voted him to power. JD(U) president M.P. Nagagouda also took part in the protest on Friday.
AAP started the hunger strike on Wednesday, asking the government to dismantle the ACB with immediate effect and reinstate the autonomy and powers of the Lokayukta police.
Their other demands include appointing a person of integrity and honesty to the Lokayukta, giving suo motu powers to the Lokayukta, filling all vacant posts at the institution, among others. AAP leader Ravi Krishna Reddy said that the party is expecting a lot of people to join the protest over the weekend.
