Telugu Desam Party president N. Chandrababu Naidu has convened a meeting of leaders of the non-Congress and non-BJP parties here for December 9 to urge the Centre to take action against the Reddy brothers of Karnataka and their Obulapuram Mining Company Private Limited for their “illegal mining activities.”
An all-party delegation will call on Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to urge him to “put an end to the illegal activities of the mining mafia who have overseas connection too.” The leaders would seek a CBI probe into the activities of Karnataka Revenue Minister G. Karunakara Reddy and Tourism Minister G. Janardhana Reddy and their connection with the late Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy’s family, including his son Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy, and also a joint parliamentary committee inquiry. Mr. Naidu, who had met leaders of many parties here for the last two days, claimed here on Thursday the support of the Communist Party of India (Marxist), the CPI, the Rashtriya Lok Dal, the Janata Dal (Secular) the Janata Dal (United), the Rashtriya Janata Dal, the Samajwadi Party, the All-India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, the Indian National Lok Dal, the Asom Gana Parishad, the Biju Janata Dal, the Trinamool Congress and the National Conference for his crusade against the mining lobby. He also planned to contact DMK president M. Karunanidhi.
Why is Congress high command silent?
The TDP chief wondered why the Congress high command was keeping mum on the issue though the mineral wealth of Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka was at stake. Even the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee sought action against the Reddy brothers, he pointed out.
To a question, he said no purpose would be served by his meeting BJP leaders, who in the first place were not willing, as their party was afraid of the Reddy brothers and their influence among a section of BJP MLAs in Karnataka, after the move to topple the Yeddyurappa government.
Mr. Naidu denied that he was trying to gain political mileage out of the issue. This was “purely a fight against corruption and in the interests of saving the country’s rich mineral wealth and democracy.”
Ready to meet Sonia
To another question, he said he was prepared to call on Congress president Sonia Gandhi if the meeting would yield any result.
