HASSAN: In response to a call given by the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC), the district unit will hold a protest rally in Hassan on July 31, to urge the Government to order a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) into alleged illegal mining in the State, former Minister for Information B. Shivaram said.

Addressing presspersons after a meeting of party workers here on Wednesday, he said that despite appeals from Opposition parties, the Government was not prepared to hand over the issue of controversial illegal mining to the CBI. It was trying to cover up the issue by ordering a judicial probe.

The Government had conveniently excluded the Rs. 150-crore bribery charges, levelled by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLC, G. Janardhan Reddy, against Janata Dal (Secular) Ministers, from the terms and conditions laid down for the U.L. Bhat Commission of Inquiry, he noted.

Presidents of block Congress were directed to hold rallies in their respective taluk headquarters on July 31, he said. "As pointed out by Janata Dal (Secular) national president Deve Gowda, there is no coordination between coalition partners in the State," he observed.

He wanted to know what was preventing the Government from filing a defamation case against Mr. Reddy, while the latter had already filed a case against Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy, Home Minister M.P. Prakash and Forest Minister C. Chennigappa.

On why the Congress was harping on CBI probe, he said judicial inquiry would only bring out the culprits and it had no power to recommend action. Apart from that, reports of many judicial commission reports were gathering dust in the Government. A probe by CBI would help clear the air, he said.

Refutes charges

Refuting the charges that Mr. Reddy was levelling allegations against the JD (S) ministers at the behest of the Congress, Mr. Shivaram said it was the disgruntled group in the BJP which was instigating Mr. Reddy for "political" reasons. Former Revenue Minister H.C. Srikantaiah, and MLC, S.M. Anand, were present on the occasion.

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