Chorus for CBI probe against ex-Chief Ministers

Even as the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has begun their probe against the former Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa, there is demand for a similar probe against the former Chief Ministers S.M. Krishna, N. Dharam Singh and H.D. Kumaraswamy, for their alleged involvement in illegal mining.

The State unit of the Communist Party of India (CPI), Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha (KRRS), Janata Dal (United), Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and freedom fighter H.S. Doreswamy on Wednesday urged Chief Minister D.V. Sadananda Gowda to hand over the cases related to alleged illegal activities by the three former Chief Ministers to the CBI without waiting for the Central Empowered Committee to make a recommendation.

Why double standards?

Mr. Yeddyurappa is said to be piqued that the Gowda government has not given its opinion to the apex court-appointed Central Empowered Committee (CEC) on whether to initiate a CBI probe against the three former Chief Ministers. His anger is also due to the fact that the State government promptly said “no comment” when the same question was asked about Mr. Yeddyurappa.

It may be recalled that T.J. Abraham of Karnataka Anti-Graft and Environmental Forum had appealed the CEC to deal with the affairs of Mr. Krishna, Mr. N. Dharam Singh and Mr. Kumaraswamy in “an even more stringent manner by recommending a CBI probe” on April 27, 2012.

The CEC sought a response from the government in this regard on May 5, 2012. He had pleaded before the CEC that mining activities, including de-reserving of forests and granting of permission for mining by past governments headed by the former Chief Ministers should be probed.

Speaking to The Hindu Mr. Abraham alleged, “The magnitude of illegality, criminality and corruption evidenced in the transactions of the governments of Mr. Krishna, Mr. Dharam Singh and Mr. Kumaraswamy is more compared to the size of the corruption charges levelled against Mr. Yeddyurappa and his family members.”