`Triumph of Truth, Let Reddys Hold Any Kind of Inquiry' Challenges HDK

From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network - Bangalore

Bangalore, Aug 12: Terming the withdrawal of the petition filed by Bellary mining lord and Karnataka’s all-powerful Tourism and Infrastructure Minister G Janardhana Reddy in the Supreme Court demanding a CBI probe into the Rs 150 crore bribery leveled against him as the ``triumph of truth,” former Chief Minister and State JD(S) chief H D Kumaraswamy said the Reddy Brothers were now free to seek any other type of inquiry by producing all their documents.

The former chief minister claimed that the petition was withdrawn from the Supreme Court when it became clear that the apex court was about to dismiss it outright and not out of any love for him.

"I have faced all their wild and baseless allegations and am prepared to face any kind of inquiry. Let them first come out with their evidence and documentary proof,” he said.

Janardhana Reddy had alleged that Rs 150 crore bribe was paid to Kumaraswamy, when the latter was the chief minister, from the mine owners of Bellary. However, when Kumaraswamy instituted a judicial inquiry headed by retired Justice U L Bhat it was opposed by the then coalition partner, BJP, with the present chief minister B S Yeddyurappa as the deputy chief minister.

The Supreme Court on Tuesday allowed Janardhana Reddy to “withdraw the petition as dismissed” after senior counsel Mukul Rohtagi sought permission for withdrawing the petition filed in 2006 on the ground that the Karnataka government had handed over the case to the State Lok Ayukta.

“Reddy is now free to seek any kind of inquiry into his allegations by tendering evidence. I am ready to face it”, Kumaraswamy adding: `Truth always wins. It can never be suppressed.”          

Kumaraswamy said Janardhana Reddy levelled the bribery allegations in 2006 after he ordered investigations into illegal mining on the basis of obeservations made by the then Forest Minister C Chennigappa, who had subsequently resigned his assembly seat won in the 2008 elections on JD(S) ticket and joined BJP. Chennigappa, however, was not able to enter the assembly when he contested from the Madhugiri assembly constituency in a by-election.

The JD(S) state president and Bangalore rural Lok Sabha member dismissed the allegations by Congress opposition leader Siddaramaiah that the withdrawal of the petition in Supreme Court appeared to be part of a quid-pro-quo between JD(S) and ruling BJP.

Rejecting Siddaramaiah’s charge that he (Kumaraswamy) was "soft” towards BJP, the JD(S) leader said Siddaramaiah’s track record was known to everybody. ``It is the JD(S) which has been attacking the BJP government headed by Yeddyurappa right from beginning and had been carrying out series of agitations against illegal mining, encroachment of reserve forests for mining activities, irregularities in land acquisition or the Bangalore-Mysore Infrastructure Corridor project. What was the Congress doing so far?,” he asked.

Kumaraswamy said both the Congress and BJP were "equally responsible” for unbridled illegal mining and all irregularities in the transportation of iron ore and other precious minerals. ``If BJP is the father of illegal mining, Congress is the mother,” he said pointing out that the Congressmen started the loot of mineral wealth.

The JD(S) leader pointed out that it was an "open secret” the illegal mining and unauthorized transportation of iron ore from the state to neighbouring Andhra Pradesh and subsequent exports were going on. ``Why can’t these Congress leaders from the State prevail upon their own government at the Centre or Andhra Pradesh to put a stop to this loot of precious mineral wealth?,” he asked.

Kumaraswamy said Siddaramaiah and other State Congress leaders had now realized the difficulties of the poorer sections and dangers posed by illegal mining after going on a padayatra in designer shoes from Adidas, Reboc or Nike and drinking only mineral water bottles. But can the poor people afford such luxuries, he asked and mentioned that JD(S) would never compromise on its principles and ideology.