GULBARGA: Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy on Sunday dismissed the demand of the Opposition for his resignation following the bribery charge levelled against him by BJP MLC Janardhan Reddy.

Addressing presspersons here, he said there was no need for him to resign on the issue. "I will not run away from the allegations without refuting it point by point."

On the repeated demands by the Congress leaders for his resignation on moral grounds, Mr. Kumaraswamy wondered why do they who claimed to have evidence to prove the charges against him had not produced it in the Assembly during the discussion on the issue.

He also ruled out handing over the investigation of the allegations made by Mr. Reddy to the CBI, as demanded by the Opposition, and remarked that everybody in the country knew how the CBI had been misused by the Congress to further its interests. Moreover, the State agencies were well equipped to do the job entrusted to them.

He said that the corruption charges had been levelled against him because of his tough actions to check illegal mining in the State. "I will reveal all facts during my reply to the discussion in the Assembly on Monday."

He refused to say anything on the threat held out by the Congress that it would continue its dharna in the Assembly on Monday on the issue of Siddaramaiah, former Deputy Chief Minister, being prevented from making a statement on the reasons for his resignation from the Assembly.

On the demand made by the BJP for reintroduction of POTA in view of the serial bombings in Mumbai, which claimed more than 200 lives and wounded several hundreds, Mr. Kumaraswamy said it was for the Union Government to decide on that.

The Chief Minister said he would tour the districts starting with Gulbarga soon after the legislature session and stay at least for three days in each district to understand the problems and see how they could be resolved.

He would also hold district-level review meetings with senior officials during his visit of the districts. The Chief Minister said he would stay in the villages to understand the life there.

Mr. Kumaraswamy said by sitting in Bangalore and holding review meetings there, the problems faced by the villagers could not be understood and hence he had decided to tour the State extensively.

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