Rattled BJP chooses to support Reddy

Rattled it is, but the party is putting up a brave face. The sudden arrest of its leader G Janardhana Reddy has ruffled the feathers of the BJP, but its leadership will for now “continue giving moral support” to the former Karnataka tourism minister along with his two magnate brothers—and avoid taking action against them.

Karnataka chief minister Sadananda Gowda and his predecessor B S Yeddyurappa met their party president Nitin Gadkari at his residence in Nagpur on Tuesday, after they reached the city in a special flight to discuss the recent developments in the state.

Senior BJP leader say they will stand by not just the three Reddy brothers, instead will even fight the legal battle with them. They have also decided not to act against the trio although a recent Lokayukta report had indicted them in the illegal mining probe.

“We will continue to give moral support to Janardhana Reddy,” said a senior BJP leader soon after meeting with Gadkari. “He is still part of the party, though the BJP doesn’t have any association with their business.”

All this when, soon after the Lokayukta report in Karnataka, the BJP had asked Yeddyurappa to quit as CM while Reddy was not included in the new cabinet of Gowda.

Then, yesterday, following its course of investigations, the CBI arrested Reddy from his residence and brought him Hyderabad before a court of the probe agency.

He has been sent to 14 days of judicial custody.

During the CBI raids, the investigators have recovered Rs 30 million in cash and around 30 kg of gold from their premises. The investigators also arrested B V Srinivas Reddy, managing director of Obalapuram Mining Company, which was allegedly involved in illegal export of iron ore.

The CBI sleuths have found Reddy of violating the Forest Act and the Mines and Mineral Development Act, besides being culpable of criminal conspiracy, cheating, theft, stealing property, illegal mining and criminal misconduct.

The CBI was acting on the findings of an investigation it had started after registering an FIR on December 7, 2009.