Bangalore, Aug 27 (IANS) Former Karnataka Lokayukta N. Santosh Hegde and former chief minister H.D. Kumaraswamy were Saturday locked in an ugly spat over their personal lives.
"Santosh Hegde has only one wife for the last 42 years and only one house," Hegde said, responding to Kumaraswamy's remarks about the former Supreme Court judge's so-called "night life".
"Before asking (questions to) others, one should look at one's own life," Hegde told a cheering crowd at the Freedom Park here where people are backing Anna Hazare's campaign against corruption.
Hegde has indicted Kumaraswamy for alleged illegal mining. The Janata Dal-Secular leader has denied the allegation.
Appearing in a programme of a Kannada TV channel, Kumaraswamy asked: "How much Hegde spends on his night life, who pays for it, can someone pay for such things from one's salary? Will he give an account of it?."
The 71-year-old Hegde also said he had not taken or paid even one rupee as bribe.
Hegde's report on illegal mining led to the fall of the B.S. Yeddyurappa government. Hegde, whose term as Lokayukta ended Aug 2, is a member of the civil society led by Hazare.