NEW DELHI // India's political opposition shrugged off charges of hypocrisy yesterday when a former chief minister was arrested on graft charges just after a party leader began a countrywide tour to highlight government corruption.
BS Yeddyurappa, who led the southern state of Karnataka until his resignation in August, surrendered before a special anti-corruption court at the weekend, accused of involvement in a multi-million-dollar land scam.
The arrest came as LK Advani, one of the leaders of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), India's main opposition party, was days into a five-week tour criticising corruption scandals dogging the Congress-led government in New Delhi.
Mr Advani's tour, known as a "yatra", had already had a dose of bad publicity after BJP functionaries were accused of paying off journalists for favourable coverage during one of the first stops in the state of Madhya Pradesh.
"The matter of Yeddyurappa will not affect but strengthen our struggle against corruption," the BJP's general secretary, Vijay Goel, told reporters. He said the party had already taken action against Mr Yeddyurappa by forcing him to resign.
But many recall the party's reluctance to act against the former chief minister when allegations of his involvement in the land scam first surfaced in late 2010.
Mr Yeddyurappa has been accused of removing protections on government land and selling it at knock-down prices - either in exchange for bribes or to firms owned by members of his family. Thirteen others have been indicted in the case, including his two sons and a son-in-law.
"The BJP is paying the price for not dealing with all this when it first came to light," said Cho Ramaswamy, a political commentator and editor of Thuglak magazine in Chennai.
"They were very hesitant to act against him because he has so much support among his caste [Lingayat farmers], but it has become a big embarrassment for them."
It was only after another scandal broke in July, related to illegal mining, that the BJP finally forced Mr Yeddyurappa to resign.
Since then, seven former and current ministers in Karnataka have been placed under investigation or put on trial in a variety of corruption cases.
Karnataka, which includes the valuable information technology hub of Bangalore, was the only state the BJP had ever controlled in the south of the country. The party's Hindu nationalist roots have rarely carried much support outside the Hindu 'cow belt' of northern India.
Back on the yatra, there was no mention of the party's troubles.
Speaking to a packed crowd in the industrial city of Bhopal yesterday, Mr Advani, 83, continued his focus on the scandals facing the Congress party, including allegations of corruption during preparations for the Commonwealth Games, a telecommunications scam that reportedly cost the exchequer US$39 billion (Dh143m) and reports that billions have been stashed by Congress politicians in tax havens abroad.
Mr Advani would not confirm reports that he was using the yatra to unofficially launch his candidacy for the prime ministership in the 2014 general elections.
Despite his age, many in the BJP see him as a less controversial choice than his main contender, the Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi, who faces charges of encouraging ethnic violence against Muslims during riots in his state in 2002.
"The yatra has turned Advani into a contender again," said N Bhaskara Rao, the chairman of the Centre for Media Studies in New Delhi.
"But so far he has failed to attract any young people or converts. It's mostly old-timers. I don't see a lot of momentum behind his campaign."