Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (VP)

Mangaluru, Aug 3: Former minister Ramanath Rai dismissed claims of the chief minister’s involvement in the MUDA scam during a press conference at the Congress office in Mallikatte.

Rai accused the BJP of politicising the issue to tarnish the chief minister’s reputation and criticised the Governor’s notice as 'politically motivated'. He also defended his record as forest minister, asserting that he stopped mining in forest areas.

On the Gadgil and Kasturirangan reports, Rai said, "The Gadgil report faced objections and affected many people. Hence, an additional study under Kasturi Rangan was conducted. The Kasturirangan report, ongoing for years, highlights serious incidents like those in Wayanad and Uttarakhand. The Centre must act decisively to prevent further issues."

Local Congress leaders, including Shashidhar Hegde, Ganesh Poojary, MG Hegde, Nityananda Shetty, Naveen D’Souza, Harinath, Ashraf, Sudheer, and Prem, were present at the briefing.