Glowing tributes paid to Ramakrishna Hegde

“What is important is not how long I am going to be the chief minister, but how well I conduct myself during my tenure,” he said, speaking at the 85th birth anniversary celebrations of former chief minister Ramakrishna Hegde organised by the Rashtriya Nava Nirmana Vedike here on Monday.

He said he would heed criticisms as it would stand him in good stead. Gowda said he was inspired by the ideologies of Ramakrishna Hegde.

Gowda said that if at all Lokpal were to materialise today after so many decades, it was because of the experiment conducted by Hegde in his laboratory more than two decades ago. “A strong Lokayukta constituted by Hegde in Karnataka gave a boost to the constitution of the Lokpal at the Centre.”

Speaking at a similar function in the City, former minister B K Chandrashekar said politicians who have concern for culture will also be sensitive persons and late chief minister Ramakrishna Hegde was one such politician, said former minister.

He was speaking at a programme organised on the occasion of the 85th birth anniversary of Hegde in the City on Monday. Chandrashekar, who was a close associate of the former chief minister, said had Hegde not become a politician, he would have been a good writer. He began his career as a journalist and later entered politics.