The Karnataka Lokayukta, Justice Santosh Hegde, has been berated by a section of the 'secular' press and public for withdrawing his resignation at the instance of BJP leader L K Advani. Their argument and anger is simple: Should Hegde, who emerged as a people's hero and had acquired a rare moral authority over those in power, have accepted the counsel of a person who pursued 'divisive' politics all his life? Isn't Advani tainted in the Babri Masjid demolition case? When Hegde had developed such mistrust about a politician, should he have allowed another one to sway him? Despite a silly rhyme, a Kannada writer put it across succinctly: "By taking a step forward Justice Hegde would have been JP (meaning Jayaprakash Narayan), but, by taking a step backward he has now become BJP."