Karnataka - Udupi   

Congress slams Yeddyurappa on illegal mining issue

Udupi: Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee president R.V. Deshpande on Sunday criticised Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa for his handling of the illegal mining issue.

Speaking to presspersons here, Mr. Deshpande said that Mr. Yeddyurappa’s statement that he would reply to all the questions relating to illegal mining raised by the Opposition parties in the Assembly made no sense. The Union Government had written many letters to the State Government on referring the illegal mining issue to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). But the Yeddyurappa Government’s “weak and escapist” response was that the issue had been probed by the Lokayukta, he said.

He said that the last one and a half years of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Government in the State had seen the Karnataka lagging behind on all development parameters, while corruption was increasing by leaps and bounds. The Congress would be launching an agitation to focus on the anti-people policies of the BJP Government in all the taluk headquarters of 26 districts on December 7, 8 and 9.

The Congress had joined hands with the Janata Dal (Secular) for the Legislative Council elections in the best interests of the people of the State. “Our aim is to defeat the BJP, which has deceived the people,” Mr. Deshpande said.

Later addressing Congress workers at the Congress Bhavan here, Mr. Deshpande said that the Yeddyurappa Government was weak and unstable in spite of having 122 MLAs. “Mr. Yeddyurappa is a mere puppet in the hands of the Reddy brothers, who wield the real power”, he said.

The pathetic condition of the Government could be gauged by the contradictory statements given by Mr. Yeddyurappa on the illegal mining issue. “On one day, Mr. Yeddyurappa says that there is no need for probe on the issue, on the second day, he says the State Government will cooperate with the CBI”, Mr. Deshpande said.

The State Government had failed in providing relief and rehabilitation in the flood-affected districts of north Karnataka. The BJP had promised to add 2,000 MW of power every year, but it had not even added 2 MW of power, he said. “Power cuts are the order of the day. As if this is not enough, they have increased power tariff,” Mr. Deshpande said. MP Oscar Fernandes and MLC Pratapchandra Shetty were present.

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