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Sep, 06

Dissidence brews in BJP as Yatras and counter-Yatras continue in K'taka

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By Team Mangalorean Bangalore

'KPCC head is bachcha before Rahul Gandhi' - Sriramulu
BJP MLAs for action against Reddy brothers
Cong legal wing to file PIL seeking CBI probe

BELLARY/BANGLAORE July 30, 2010: "Swabhimani Bellay Yatra" launched by the Bharatiya Janata Party workers entered second day on Friday. Hundreds of party workers led by Tourism Minister G. Janardhan Reddy and Health and Family Welfare Minister B. Sriramulu went on march in Sirguppa town, 50 km from here to awaken the people of the district about the real intention of the Congress leaders who are carrying out "Bangalore-Bellary Padayatra"

Mr. Sriramulu took objection to the Congress leaders making fun of his tonsuring. He said it is a sacred ritual practiced by people. People punish themselves seeking divine intervention. But the Congress people have no respect to native practice.

Mr. Sriramulu strongly reacted to the remark by Karnataka Pradesh Congress president R.V. Deshpande who called the former a "bachcha" (a small entity) in politics. Mr. Deshpande had said "I have been in politics about four decades. Mr. Sriramulu and other BJP leaders from Bellary have been in politics for 5 - 6 years. They are bachchas in politics".

Reacting to this Mr. Sriramulu said Congress president Sonia Gandhis son Rahul Gandhi is also novice in the politics. However, senior leaders like Mr. Deshpande are bachchas before Mr. Rahul Gandhi. Mr. Deshpande should introspect where he stands in the Congress hierarchy.

Mr. Sriramulu said he had no objection if the Congress leaders belittled him but he would not tolerate if they made fun of Bellary people and their culture. He had been in public life over two decades but had no black spot. "I will not deceive anybody. I am in politics to serve the people but not to make money as alleged by Congress leaders" he said.

Mr. Janardhan Reddy said Congress leaders would go to any extent to please their leader Sonia Gandhi who was elected from Bellary segment in 1999 Lok Sabha elections. (However she chose to represent Amethi and quit Bellary). Their present march to Bellary was also one such ploy, which the people of the State were aware of he added.

Mr. Janardhan Reddy, who is also in-charge of Bellary district, said "we have promised to achieve an overall development of Bellary district. We have initiated series of developmental activities. Come what may we will keep our words" he said amid applause.

Sirguppa MLA Somlingappa, MLC Mrityunjay Jinaga, MLAs Suresh Babu and Nagendra, senior BJP leader Dr. Mahipal, Bellary Urban Development Authority chairman Gurulinganagouda also took part in the rally. Earlier, the BJP leaders offered pooja at Takkalkote village temple.

BJP MLAs for action against Reddy brothers

However, a rebellion is imminent between a group of legislators backed by Minister for Excise M P Renukacharya and Ministers from Bellary in the Yeddyurappa government over the issue of "Swabhimani Bellary Yatra" taken out by the latter.

Mr Renukacharya, Harihar MLA B P Harish, Indi MLA Bagali Sarvabhouma Satagouda, Sagar MLA Gopalakrishna Belur, KGF MLA Y Sampangi on Friday jointly held a press conference and outright opposed the "Swabhimani Bellary Yatra launched by the BJP ministers from Bellary.

Stating that the Thursdays meeting was not aimed at toppling the Yeddyurappa Government, Mr Renukacharya said "a few like-minded legislators discussed several issues, including the rally taken out by Mr Sriramulu and the Reddy brothers." They have reposed full faith in the leadership of Mr Yeddyurappa.

Led by Renukacharya, a dissident- turned Yeddyurappa loyalist, the legislators met Yeddyurappa and pledged their support to any possible action against the three ministers -- Janardhana Reddy his brother Karunakara Reddy and their associate B Sriramulu. Sources close to the MLAs said they held the Reddy brothers and Sriramulu, all mining magnates from mine-rich Bellary in the state, responsible for forcing the Congress to launch the padayatra against illegal mining.

The legislators, sources said, told Yeddyurappa that certain actions of the Bellary trio had dented the image of the party and its government in the state. The MLAs also told Yeddyurappa that they planned to launch "hatao Bellary ministers and save BJP" campaign next week.

Renukacharya and other legislators were part of the dissident group controlled by Reddy brothers when they revolted against Yeddyurappa last October before switching sides. Some of the MLAs rallying behind Renukacharaya are aspirants for ministerial slots in the proposed ministry restructuring likely to be taken up by Yeddyurappa next month.

Reddy brothers and Sriramulu have been targeted by the opposition Congress and JDS on the illegal mining issue but Yeddyurappa has given a clean chit to them and ruled out a CBI probe on the mining issue. Countering the Congress padayatra, the three ministers have also launched a similar programme ignoring party's advice against it. Yeddyurappa said today that he was personally against the padayatra by the ministers.

Cong legal wing to file PIL seeking CBI probe

BANGALORE: Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) Legal and Human Rights Wing has decided to file a public interest litigation petition in the Karnataka High Court seeking an inquiry by the Central Bureau of Investigation into the illegal mining of iron ore in the state.

Addressing the media, KPCC legal wing chairman C. M. Dhananjaya has urged Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa to drop the Health and Family Welfare Minister B. Sriramulu from the Cabinet for visiting the Central Jail, here and meeting inmates at night, violating the jail manual.

He urged that the Jail Superintendent should be kept under suspension for not being present when the minister met the under-trials.

Stating that the suspension should not be revoked till an inquiry was held on his conduct and till August 9, when the Congress padayatra would be ended, he said that Mr. Sriramulu might utilise the services of the anti-social elements to spoil the march.
Legal Wing has organised a convention of advocates and human right activists on Law as an Instrument of Economic and Social Change at the KPCC premises on July 31.

Union Law and Justice Minister M.Veerappa Moily would inaugurate it. The AICC Election Committee Chairman Oscar Fernandes, MP and R. Lingaiah, P.A.Krishna Reddy, K.M. Manmohan, M. Lokesh and Aswath, former chairmen and secretaries of the Legal Wing would be honored.

Stating that the centre should establish a bench of the Supreme Court in Bangalore, he said there was need to institute a fund for the welfare of the advocates, appoint advocates to the boards/corporations and allot sites to them on priority.