My Statement On Corruption Based On A Survey Report: Upa Lokayukta

BENGALUR: Upa Lokayukta Justice B. Veerappa on Friday issued a clarification to his statement that Karnataka ranks 5th among the “corrupt” States of the country while addressing a meeting at an event in Bengaluru a few days ago.

Veerappa said, “This is not my personal statement on corruption” but his statement that Karnataka ranked 5th in the country was based on the 2019 India Corruption survey; Here, the survey ranked each of the states from the highest to lowest corruption states.

Upa Lokayukta stated that this statement was made at the event to “inspire advocates to stand up against corruption” and that its statement was “not targeted at any government”. He stated that all parties that have come to power since independence, be it Union or State governments, have had a role in “corruption”.

“Before Independence, 79 years ago, corruption was rampant in the country,” Veerappa said. The judge said his statement about “corruption” was used by political parties to their advantage to settle scores.