UNI

Bangalore, Jul 19: The Congress in Karnataka on Wednesday demanded the resignation of Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy in the wake of BJP Legislator Janardhan Reddy reiterating his allegation that the Chief Minister had taken a bribe of Rs 150 crore from the mining lobby.

Talking to reporters here, Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly N Dharam Singh said CM Kumaraswamy had no moral right to continue in power and should immediately quit from the post. He also demanded a CBI inquiry into the charge against the Chief Minister and two other Ministers.

Stating that the party leaders would meet soon and chalk out the future course of action, Singh asked the government to provide adequate protection to Reddy, who had made public the corrupt dealings.

KPCC President Mallikarjuna Kharge told UNI that a Congress delegation would meet the governor on Thursday, urging him to order a CBI inquiry into the allegation.

He claimed that due to infighting in the BJP and JD(S), all the developmental works in the State have come to a naught. The Government had not released grants for payment of works done in PWD and irrigation departments.

The KPCC chief alleged that the BJP and JD(S) tried their best to stifle Reddy, but their attempts ultimately failed.

AIPJD demand dismissal of JD(S)-BJP Govt

UNI

Bangalore: With the JD(S)-BJP Government in Karnataka once again coming under dark clouds following the bribery allegation against chief minister H D Kumaraswamy, the All India Progressive Janata Dal on Wednesday urged Governor T N Chaturvedi to recommend its dismissal to the Centre.

Speaking to reporters here, AIPJD leader B R Patil said ''this Government has become a curse to the State and its people. People do not deserve a Government, headed by such a Chief Minister. The Governor should take note of this serious development and write to the Centre to dismiss this Government and order a CBI inquiry into the murky illegal mining episode.''

Earlier in the day, BJP MLC Janardhana Reddy reiterated in the Upper House that the chief minsiter, his family and Forests Minister C Chennigappa were directly involved in collecting Rs 150 crore bribe from the illegal mining lobby in the State. Following his outbursts, the MLC was suspended from the party.

Patil said JD(S) President H D Deve Gowda, who had first refused to extend his blessings to the coalition Government formed with BJP by dethroning the Congress-JD(S) dispensation but later accepted it, should own responsibility for the state of affairs of the party. ''Mr Gowda has failed to take his party in the right direction. It is better he dissolved the JD(S). The BJP should get out of this mess sooner than later and severe its ties with the JD(S)," he warned.