Justice Santosh Hegde, a retired Supreme Court judge and former Solicitor General of India, has occupied high constitutional posts that, ipso facto, demand decorum, probity in life and rectitude, as inviolable attributes.
Justice Hegde has done a commendable job as Lok Ayukta, having been instrumental in uncovering mining violations, encroachment of forest land, massive underpayment of state mining royalties and so on. He has wisely recommended banning iron ore exports and limiting iron ore production for captive production of steel.
What, however, stands out in the present controversy is his loquaciousness, his innate combative nature and sense of hurt. The hyper-activism by the state-appointed ombudsman and his almost daily appearance in the media and on TV channels have become routine. This grandstanding robs him of the neutrality his role requires vis-a-vis opposition parties, although he has not been known to align himself with any party when in office.
A close reading of his public statements reveals that the ombudsman, more than anything else, feels piqued. These are subjective feelings natural to a human being. But he appears to have lost sight of the fact that public officials are not supposed to remonstrate, exhibit their helplessness, frustration and irritation in public or even adopt a tough, combative posture against the chief executive of the state. All that and more should be revealed in their work.
Justice Hegde’s regular appearances on TV channels and self-projection as a crusader and messiah of anti-corruption must end. This would herald a new beginning in terms of decorum, protocol, civility, respect for the rule of law and primacy of the state’s authority.
K K Luthria, Bangalore