AP Cong drawn into Bellary mining row

The Bellary mining controversy is turning murkier by the day. Karnataka's forest minister C Chennigappa gave a new twist to the row on Thursday by accusing Andhra Pradesh Congress of instigating BJP MLC K Janardhana Reddy to undertake slanderous campaign against chief minister H D Kumaraswamy and destabilise the Janata Dal (S)-BJP coalition government.

Speaking to reporters here, Chennigappa alleged that Janardhana Reddy's illegal mining activities in the state border (in Bellary district) had the backing of Andhra Pradesh chief minister Y S Rajashekara Reddy and the entire AP Congress unit.

"I am told that Janardhana Reddy and Rajashekara Reddy's son are into illegal mining on the AP-Karnataka border in the disputed Vibuthi mines area. The Supreme Court in 1981 had stopped all kinds of mining activities in the disputed area claimed by both the states," he added.

Chennigappa claimed that the JD (S)-BJP coalition government initiated measures to check illegal mining in Bellary district and the disputed border areas.

"Our actions affected Janardhana Reddy's mining operations. To hide the truth and divert the issue, Janardhana Reddy has launched a campaign against the chief minister and me," he further alleged.

The minister stated that Janardhana Reddy had close links with the AP chief minister in many ways.

"Janardhana Reddy funded the recently concluded elections to panchayat raj bodies in AP. I am told that he is planning to join Congress. It is all the more evident from the fact that he is ignoring all directions from the BJP top brass on the matter," he said.

Last week, Reddy and his brother Karunakara Reddy (Bellary BJP MP) had accused Kumaraswamy and Chennigappa of accepting bribe from a section of the mining lobby to transfer Bellary superintendent of police Pankaj Kumar Thakur, who was investigating into illegal mining.

So far, the Reddy brothers (who belong to Ananthkumar camp of BJP) have not yielded to pressure exerted by deputy chief minister B S Yediyurappa. A last minute compromise formula worked out by BJP national president Rajnath Singh too failed.

The Reddy brothers instead of withdrawing the allegation as promised to Singh rushed to New Delhi for further clarifications. For the last one week, the legislature proceedings have been stalled by the Congress, which is seeking a CBI inquiry into the matter.