by M K Vidyaranya

Even as the Sadananda Gowda led BJP  Cabinet in Karnataka is engaged in the hair splitting act of demanding clarification from the yet to be appointed Lokayukta on its own terms of reference,  former Chief Minister B S Yeddyurrappa,  who was cooling  his heels inside the Central Jail at Parappana Agrahara for few hours was shifted to  Jayadeva Institute of Cardiology late last night following complaints of chest pain and vomiting at the jail where he was sent to spend the week end.

Yeddyurappa was arrested yesterday in connection with the corruption cases registered against him for illegally de-notifying land in and around Bangalore.

The jail stay  is not new for him. Known for his pro-poor and pro-farmers agitations, Yeddyurappa was imprisoned many a times between 1975-1977 during Indira Gandhi’s infamous Emergency.

News papers in Bangalore carried  Yeddyurappa’s arrest story in screaming eight column headlines.

While the Sunday Times termed Yeddyurappa as , ” Pracharak, Politician, Prisoner” and pointed out that he evaded arrest for four hours after the Lokayukta Judge, Justice N K Sudheendra Rao ordered the accused be sent to judicial custody till Oct 22.

Kannada Prabha, oflate seems  to be trying to re-establish its old glory of labelling itself as anti-establishment newspaper devoted the entire first page showing a photograph of Yeddyurappa inside the jail cell thinking of future.

The news paper also carried two interesting statements – one by the Lokayukta Judge and another by Yeddyurappa a fortnight ago- as ear-panels in the second front page,
While the judge said ” Bail application filed by the accused No.1 under section 439 crpc has been rejected….”,the newspaper quoted Yeddyurappa’s statement made 15 days  ago’ ” Even if I go to jail, I will do politics from inside the jail”.

The screaming  head-line in the second front page said, B  S Yeddyurappa, ” Quaidi No. 10462 “.

Bangalore  Mirror, a sister publication of the Times of India group, which linked Yeddyurapp’s arrest with L K Advani’s anti graft yatra said in its front page, ” Yeddyurappa arrest jeopardises Advani’s anti-graft Yatra” . The veteran national leader is caught in  a bind with the arrest of BJP’s first chief minister in  South India and that too on the charges of corruption, the theme song of his tour.

The newspaper said, Yeddyurappa, as a chief minister was enjoying hassle free ride wherever he went, has the luxury of hassle free drive to the Central Jail as well as the senior officers had sent out a message to the traffic police inspectors to clear the rods for Yeddyurappa to pass with the former chief minister seating inside a police jeep and not in his high end luxury car Honda  CRV.

Utilising the opportunity to its advantage, the Congress said that  it is ironical that Yeddyurappa is fighting for bail in corruption case at a time when Advani’s anti-graft rath is rolling. Advani should have stgarted his yatgra frfom Karnataka which is reeling under corruption since its came to power in the state.

According to Mr C H Hanumantharaya, the Counsel for the Complainant, “It is a historic judgement. It will be an eye-opener for unscrupulous politicians. It instills the fear of law and they will think  10 times before committing  any illegality….”