Save Lokayukta campaign begins in Karnataka

A 'save Lokayukta' campaign began here today to press for appointment of a Lokayukta in Karnataka.

Several activists participated in the dharna, launched under the banner of Jana Jagruthi Andolana at Freedom Park here, in which veteran freedom fighter H S Doreswamy Iyenger, former Karnataka Lokayukta Santosh Hegde and others took part.

Karnataka unit JDU president Dr M P Nadagouda and former MLC, A K Subbaiah also participated in the dharna, which will be staged till June 16.

Speaking on the occasion Hegde urged the government to appoint a Lokayukta at the earliest and said the institution which fights corruption should not be turned into a 'lame duck'.

The Lokayukta office has remained vacant since about nine months after Shivaraj Patil quit in September 2011 following a controversy over securing allotment of a residential site in his wife's name, which the retired Supreme Court judge surrendered later.

Governor H R Bhardwaj refused to appoint retired judge S R Bannurmath as Lokayukta as he also faced a land allotment controversy.