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Shettar challenges Krishna to sue BJP

By Our Special Correspondent

HUBLI Nov. 26. The Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Assembly, Jagadish Shettar, today challenged the Chief Minister, S.M. Krishna, to go ahead and sue the BJP for the remarks made by its spokesman, Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, in connection with the stamp paper racket. "We welcome the step and are prepared to face it," Mr. Shettar said in response to questions from presspersons here today.

(On Tuesday, Mr. Krishna said he was considering legal action against some persons and four newspapers for "disseminating false and unfounded reports alleging his involvement in the stamp paper scam".)

Mr. Shettar said that the State unit of the BJP was not aware on what basis Mr. Naqvi had made the statement alleging the involvement of Congress party bigwigs in the scam. "I am sure he has his own information."

Mr. Shettar charged Mr. Krishna with "talking in riddles" over the attitude of the State Government towards entrusting the investigation of the case to the CBI. ``The Chief Minister talked about cooperating with the CBI in the investigation and, at the same time, said the Government was opposed to the CBI being permitted to investigate. It was for Mr. Krishna to clarify what exactly he meant.''

Replying to a question, Mr. Shettar said there was no legal bar on the CBI looking into the cases booked against Mr. Telgi in Karnataka if a specific directive was given to it by any High Court. He said he did not understand why Mr. Krishna should have any reservations about a CBI investigation if, as Mr. Krishna himself had said, none of the Ministers was involved in the scam.

The alleged "inaction on the part of the State Government" in investigating the case ever since it surfaced two years ago had ``given rise to the suspicion that the Government was more interested in hushing it up rather than finding out the truth''. Matters had been needlessly delayed and the pace of investigation was tardy, he said.

Mr. Shettar saw a "deliberate design" behind the Government's hurried decision to set up the special court to try the cases after a delay of more than one-and-a-half years. The Government had become active only when it became clear that the case was being entrusted to the CBI, he said. The attitude of the two Congress Governments in Maharashtra and Karnataka was also strange.

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