BENGALURU: Legal luminaries do not see a case of witch-hunting in the state government’s decision to file a Special Leave Petition (SLP) in the Supreme Court against the acquittal of state BJP president B S Yeddyurappa by the high court in 15 cases of denotification of land, indicating tough times ahead for the Lingayat strongman.
Legal experts said keeping technicalities in mind, the high court quashed 15 FIRs registered by the Lokayukta police against Mr Yeddyurappa vis-a-vis denotification of land and allotment of BDA sites in violation of rules. Based on the CAG report, the Lokayukta police had registered the FIRs following a complaint by social activist Jayakumar Hiremath.
These experts did not rule out the possibility of the apex court admitting the SLP if the state files it and even staying the high court order which had delivered its verdict on lacunae in FIRs on technical grounds.
The state government took a decision to move the apex court on the basis of the opinion of additional advocate general, Ponnanna. A senior advocate saw merit in the complaint filed by Mr Jayakumar Hiremath which was based on a report submitted by the CAG.
Acting on the complaint, the Lokayukta police registered 15 FIRs, he added. In its verdict, the high court had observed that Lokayukta police had no jurisdiction to register FIRs against Mr Yeddyurappa as the CAG report was not debated and accepted or rejected by the state legislature.
Only parliament or the state legislature has to discuss the CAG report and to accept it or reject it. The counsel for Mr Yeddyurappa had highlighted this aspect during his arguments in the high court.
It’s nothing but political vendetta: BJP netas
The state government’s decision, and timing of the move to file a SLP in the apex court, has irked BJP leaders.
The cabinet took the decision to move the Supreme Court after a gap of four months and only after appointment of Mr Yeddyurappa as the state unit president to take on the government headed by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah. They slammed the government saying it was certainly a case of political vendetta against Mr Yeddyurappa.
Speaking to the media here on Thursday, Mr Yeddyurappa remarked “the government’s decision to file a SLP against me is nothing but a case of political vendetta. I am not surprised by the government’s decision.
In fact I am expecting such a move by the Siddaramaiah government. I will fight the case in the Supreme Court. I have faith in the judiciary. Like me, many Chief Ministers have denotified land.”
Govt taking on rivals: KSE
The statement of Law Minister T.B. Jayachandra that an appeal would be submitted in the Supreme Court against Bharatiya Janata Party state president B.S. Yeddyurappa challenging the quashing of cases against him, is an act of political rivalry, remarked Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Council K.S. Eshwarappa on Thursday.
Speaking at a press conference, he said that the Congress government was hitting back at everyone who questions its credibility. The BJP’s Rajya Sabha MP Ayanur Manjunath felt the decision to move the Supreme Court against Mr Yeddyurappa was uncalled for.
