K'taka mining scam: Chief Minister indicted21 Jul 2011, 0851 hrs IST, TIMES NOW
=================================================
A year after the massive row that engulfed Karnataka Chief minister & the state Lokayukta, Justice Santosh Hegde has come out with a damning indictment of BJP chief minister, charging him on two grounds of gaining profit from the illegal mining operations. That is not all. The report, on illegal mining also names 4 of his ministers including the bellary barons, the Reddy brothers.
BS Yeddyurappa's troubles are set to mount his role in illegal mining has been nailed in the report prepared by the Karnataka Lokayukta Justice Santosh Hegde.
Yeddyurappa faces two direct charges; benefitting through overvalued land sales to mining companies and kickbacks routed through trusts his relatives have a stake in. What is worse is that he is also charged for turning a blind eye... to the proof against the Bellary mining barons who continue as ministers.
Janardhan Reddy is accused of taking 40 per cent commission for smuggling out illegal iron ore, collecting money through front companies and running a parallel government in Bellary by paying off every bureaucrat and cop
When asked for a reaction on behalf of the BJP Higher Education Minister, Karnataka, VS Acharya refused to comment. He said, " I will not comment on such presumptions. It is foolish.
Also nailed for illegal mining are Karunakar Reddy and two other cabinet ministers, Sriramalu and V Somanna.
Opposition leaders including former Chief Minster Kumaraswamy are not spared either. Kumaraswamy is in trouble over two controversial deals he pushed during his tenure, charges backed by documented proof.
Even the Congress better watch before it breaks out in celebration. Congress Rajya Sabha MP Anil Lad is also named in Santosh Hegde's report. When asked about the matter, Lad said, "As far as the mine in Chandoor, which is owned by VS Lad & Sons is concerned, we don't have any neighbours so no question arises about us encroaching the others."
But the question that remains is, can the BJP ignore the solid proof against Yeddyurappa any longer, especially as they prepare to corner the UPA over corruption in the Monsoon session?
================================================
No comments:
Post a Comment