Bangalore, May 31 (PTI): Responding to Centre's Advisory which in all raised 11 issues, Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yeddyurappa on Tuesday rejected its contention that the state government tried to curtail Lokayukta's powers by appointing a judicial commission to probe allotment and denotification of land.
The Advisory was sent by Union Home Minister P Chidambaram last week to the Chief Minister after the Centre rejected Governor HR Bhardwaj's controversial recommendation for imposition of President's rule in Karnataka.
In his response to an Advisory sent to him by the Centre, Yeddyurappa asserted there were no attempts to curb the powers of the Lokayukta, as alleged by the Centre, officials said on the condition of anonymity.
"It is not an advisory under Article 355 of the Constitution. It is a semi-official letter from the Union Home Minister P Chidambaram to the Chief Minister. The Chief Minister has replied to it in his individual capacity," they said.
"The issues that were before the Lokayukta prior to the setting up of the one-man judicial commission, headed by retired High Court Judge B Padmaraj, continue to be investigated by the Lokayukta," the letter sent to the Centre on Tuesday said.
"Only those which are not before the domain of the Lokayukta investigation have been referred to the inquiry commission," the reply said.
The advisory in all referred to 11 issues, including maintenance of law and order, mining and corruption charges faced by the Chief Minister, officials said.
Officials said Yeddyurappa had also responded to defection of MLAs from Congress and JD(S) to BJP, which was one of the issues contained in the advisory, but declined to divulge details.
Speaking to reporters, Yeddyurappa confirmed that he had sent his replies in a sealed cover but did not elaborate.
After JD(S) accused him of corruption and nepotism and levelled allegations of illegal denotification and allotment of lands in favour of his family, Yeddyurappa ordered a judicial probe into allotment and denotification of lands from 1994 to September 2010.
JD(S) spokesman YSV Datta has already secured a stay on the functioning of the Padmaraj Commission of Inquiry challenging its appointment.
The BJP High Command, to which Yeddyurappa sent a copy of the advisory, perused it and advised the Chief Minister to respond, suggesting inputs for the reply, said officials.
In his special report on May 15, Bhardwaj recommended imposition of President's rule on the ground that there was a breakdown of constitutional machinery in the state following the Supreme Court quashing the disqualification of 11 BJP rebel MLAs and five independents. But the Centre rejected it.