The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party on Thursday rejected Opposition parties' demand for resignation of Karnataka Chief Minister in the wake of a Lokayukta report indicting him on illegal mining, claiming that B.S. Yeddyurappa had no “direct nexus” with mining activity.
“No, not at all,” BJP spokesperson V. Dhananjaya Kumar told PTI when asked if the Chief Minister would quit as demanded by the Congress.
According to him, Congress had recently rejected a Delhi Lokayukta report indicting Chief Minister Sheila Dixit and “so is the case with Lokayukta of Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh”.
“Congress party in power in all these states has consistently rejected the report submitted by respective Lokayuktas. There cannot be two yardsticks —— one for the Congress and one for BJP”, Mr. Kumar said.
He claimed that Karnataka Lokayukta Justice N Santosh Hegde is on record saying the Chief Minister had no direct nexus with mining activity. “Whatever has come out (leaked report), does not contain any new revelations“.
Mr. Hegde had made comments that the Chief Minister’s sons sold property at an exorbitant price to a mine owner and also that some of the mining companies had given donations to a trust in which they were trustees, Mr. Kumar claimed, adding, the Lokayukta has not pointed out “any extra benefit given to these mine owners by the Government“.
He said these issues are pending before the High Court.
“That being the case, there is no occasion to take such a decision (to resign),” Mr. Kumar said.
