Hegde meets Atal

NEW DELHI, April 26: Lok Shakti leader and Union Commerce Minister Ramakrishna Hegde today met the Prime Minister to explain his position following allegations of corruption levelled against him by AIADMK supremo J Jayalalitha.

Hegde, who has denied all the charges made against him, is understood to have impressed upon Atal Behari Vajpayee that the charges were not true. Last week, Jayalalitha had in a letter to Vajpayee demanded the sacking of those she defined as 8220;tainted ministers8221;.

Jayalalitha8217;s accusations against Hegde related to allegations regarding commission paid by a German firm and a separate land allotment deal while Hegde was chief minister of Karnataka.