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Bangalore/New Delhi: Unfazed by the opposition's demand
for his ouster, the BJP's first chief minister in south India,
Karnataka's B.S. Yeddyurappa, Friday maintained the Lokayukta
report on his alleged involvement in illegal mining did not
contain anything new and he was not stepping down.
Meanwhile, Governor H.R. Bhardwaj said he will act on Lokayukta N.
Santosh Hegde's report report on illegal mining as soon as he gets
it.
Bhardwaj has been highly critical of Yeddyurappa and his
government and has twice recommended its sacking and placing the
state under direct central rule.
Yeddyurappa is reaching Delhi Sunday or Monday for talks with his
Bharatiya Janata Party leaders on his future following the
Lokayukta naming him in illegal mining report.
A senior state BJP leader, requesting he not be identified, told
IANS in Bangalore that Yeddyurappa, holidaying in Mauritius, had a
detailed discussion with senior party leader Arun Jaitley over the
phone.
"He told Jaitley of his desire to continue in office because the
Lokayukta report contained nothing new," the leader said.
He said "some of the cases mentioned by the Lokayukta in his
report are old and already in the public domain. Also private
complaints have been filed (by two Bangalore advocates against
Yeddyurappa and his kin) and the court is hearing them. Therefore
Yeddyurappa wants to continue till the verdict on these cases are
out and conveyed this to Jaitely," he said.
The chief minister is under mounting pressure from Congress, Left
parties and Janata Dal-Secular to quit in view of Hegde's report
and also over tapping of his phone.
The state Congress is hitting the streets in Bangalore Saturday to
press for Yeddyurappa's resignation.
Yeddyurappa will head to Delhi straight from Mauritius, state Home
Minister V.S. Acharya told reporters in Bangalore.
The visit to Delhi will come as BJP and Congress intensify attack
on each other over Yeddyurapa remaining in office in spite of
Hegde concluding that he had not only not curbed illegal mining
but allowed his kin to financially benefit from firms involved in
it.
Yeddyurappa, however, tried to put up a brave face. He told the
Times Now news channel in Mauritius that there were many
allegations against him by opposition parties and he was not
bothered about them.
"I will not cut short my holiday plans. I will return to India on
July 25. I will fly to New Delhi straight from here and consult my
party's national leaders about the future course of action. I will
remain the chief minister for the rest of the BJP's term (till May
2013) in Karnataka," he said.
The state Congress leaders said they suspected Yeddyurappa's hand
in the tapping of the Lokayukta's phone. "These things cannot
happen without the knowledge and permission of the chief
minister," leader of opposition in the assembly Siddaramaiah told
reporters.
The state BJP, however, dismissed the charge and said Lokayukta
should decide on the agency to probe tapping of his phone. "We
agree this is a serious matter. It should be probed," state unit
chief K.S. Eshwarappa said.
In the meantime, Hegde denied reports in a section of the media
that he has named former chief minister S.M. Krishna, now India's
external affairs minister, in his report.
"I have not named former state chief ministers S.M. Krishna and N.
Dharam Singh in the report. The report, however, has a mention
about the impropriety involved in de-reserving 11,620 sq. km of
forest area in the state for mining and allotment of mining leases
to select firms in 2003 when Krishna was the chief minister,"
Hegde told IANS.
BJP spokesperson Rajiv Prasad Rudy, however, banked on such
reports to hit back at the Congress for demanding Yeddyurappa's
resignation.
He asked in New Delhi Friday whether the Congress would sack
Krishna from the cabinet on the basis of speculation.
A copy of the final report would be sent to governor Bhardwaj for
his perusal, Hegde said.
"I am not joining the issue with the state governor. If he wants
the report, I will send him a copy as I am entitled under the
provisions of the Lokayukta Act as he is the constitutional head
of the state," he said.
Hegde said: "The report will be first submitted to the state
government by our registrar (Moosa Kunhi Nayar) probably on
Monday. If the governor does not get a copy from the state
government as it is expected to send him, I will be within my
rights to send a copy of the report to him."
"I have sought protection to the five investigation officers from
the state government as there is professional and personal threat
to them from the powerful politicians, ministers and officials who
have been named in the report," he added.
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