The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : Kumaraswamy should quit, says Patil

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Mar 09, 2007
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Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

Kumaraswamy should quit, says Patil

Staff Reporter

H.K. Patil

BANGALORE: The Cabinet's decision to wind up the U.L. Bhat Commission inquiring into large-scale irregularities in iron ore mining in Karnataka, puts a question mark on the propriety of the Government, particularly when allegations of bribery have been levelled against Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy, according to Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Council, H.K. Patil.

He told presspersons here on Thursday that the Government never had an intention of allowing any inquiry into the irregularities, and the commission had been constituted merely to quell the Opposition's demand for an investigation by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

"They just waited for the dust to settle, and in the meanwhile treated the commission in an appalling manner. The retired judge has made notes on files about the way he was treated. The Congress demands that these remarks be made public," Mr. Patil said.

He said the Government had no moral right to continue in office, and urged the Chief Minister to resign immediately, as the move to wind up the commission indicated that the allegations against Mr. Kumaraswamy and his colleagues, Home Minister M.P. Prakash and Minister for Forests C. Chennigappa were true.

On the Cauvery issue, Mr. Patil wondered what the Government expected to achieve by filing a review petition before the Cauvery Tribunal, and announcing its intention to approach the Supreme Court as well.

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