New Delhi, May 11: The Supreme Court on Friday ordered a CBI probe against former Karnataka Chief Minister, B S Yeddyurappa for allegedly favouring firms involved in illegal mining in turn receiving donations to a charitable trust run by his close relatives.
 In what is being perceived to be a major set back to the BJP particularly to Yeddyurappa’s plan to regain the Chief Minister’s slot again, a special Forest Bench led by Chief Justice S H Kapadia directed the CBI to carry out the probe uninfluenced by the stature of the person and his political clout and corporates involved in the case. The Court directed the investigating agency to file its report by August 3.
 The Bench, also comprising justices Aftab Alam and Swatanter Kumar, stayed all pending proceedings before all judicial forums in connection with the case. It has accepted the April 20 report of the Central Empowered Committee (CEC) which had pointed out several allegations against Yeddyurappa and corporate entities namely Jindals and Adanis and had recomended a CBI probe. The court also asked the Andhra Pradesh government to cooperate with the CBI in the investigation.
 The Court decision might have brought some relief to the BJP high command who is under severe pressure from Yeddyurappa supporters to reinstate him as Chief Minister. But it is likely to have serious  implications for the party which has launched an anti-corruption tirade against the Congress-led Government.
 Coming close on the heels of former BJP president Bangaru Luxman being convicted and sentenced in a corruption case, the Yeddyurappa episode is likely to make the party defensive. The factional rumblings in Rajasthan and Himachal Pradesh have already added to the BJP leadership’s woes.
 Tackling Karnataka is going to be a difficult proposition for the party given the fact that Yeddyurappa is the tallest leader of the powerful Lingayat community. It is going to be a catch 22 situation for the BJP to altogether abandon the former Chief Minister as the state will be facing Assembly elections next year.
 Yeddyurappa has already been flexing muscles to force the party into rehabilitating him by making the state unit chief. Recently, he had ensured defeat of a party candidate in a Lok Sabha bi-election which was won by Congress with a good margin.
 Sensing an opportunity, the Congress has already started wooing the Lingayat community. In this regard, the party chief Sonia Gandhi’s visit to a leading shrine of the community recently to felicitate its pontiff on his 105th birthday assumes significance.

Lastupdate on : Fri, 11 May 2012 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Fri, 11 May 2012 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Sat, 12 May 2012 00:00:00 IST