BANGALORE: Even as Karnataka politics is hotting up with a series of cases being filed against two former chief ministers and a former minister based on the Lokayukta report on illegal mining, its author former Lokayukta Justice N Santosh Hegde and former CM H D Kumaraswamy were locked in an ugly spat over their personal lifestyles.While Kumaraswamy accused Hegde of having a lavish lifestyle which was impossible to lead with his salary alone, Hegde retaliated by asking the former to introspect on his personal life before pointing fingers at him.Kumaraswamy in an interview to a private regional news channel had accused Hegde of having a lavish night life and sought to know from where did the latter get money from for it.“I know about Hegde’s night activities and how much he spends on his night life.Could anyone afford such a lifestyle with salary alone? Will he give an account of it? If I start discussing these things in public, many people will get hurt,” Kumaraswamy had said.In a fierce retaliation, Justice Hegde, while addressing a pro-Hazare gathering at the Freedom Park here, said: “Kumaraswamy should introspect himself.He need not keep vigil on my nightlife.” He continued: “I have only one wife and one house for the last 42 years.Every night I head straight to my home.I have not made two homes,” he said while indirectly referring to Kumaraswamy’s affair with actress Radhika.Kumaraswamy’s outburst is seen as a frustrated effort to defame Hegde as the latter had indicted him in the final report of illegal mining that led to the exit of B S Yeddyurappa as chief minister.Kumaraswamy has been accused of illegally recommending for the renewal of mining lease for Jantkal Mining Company by pressurising officials.The former CM is now facing the threat of arrest as the Lokayukta court had issued summons to him, following which the JD(S) state president has filed a petition seeking anticipatory bail.This is the second incident in the last two weeks that the former Lokayukta had been targeted
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