The former chief minister of Andhra Pradesh and TDP president, N. Chandrababu Naidu, has urged Karnataka Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa to immediately drop Revenue Minister G. Karunakara Reddy and Tourism Minister G. Janardhana Reddy from his cabinet vis-À-vis “illegal mining” by the Obulapuram Mining Company Private Limited (OMC).
Though Mr. Janardhana Reddy should not hold any office of profit as he was a minister, still he was being paid Rs.18 crore per year from OMC, Mr. Naidu alleged.
Similarly Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister K. Rosaiah should drop then Mines Minister Sabitha Indira Reddy (now Home Minister), ex-Forest Minister Vijaya Rama Raju (now Transport Minister) and present Forest Minister Ramachandra Reddy as all of them had helped the Reddy brothers to carry out their mining activity violating various laws and rules. He said Mr. Rosaiah was afraid of taking action against the Reddy brothers as they were connected with Mr. Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy, son of late Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy.
Mr. Naidu said his party would fight out the issue till it reached the logical end. He had also planned to take up the issue with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and convene the meeting of the leaders of all the parties to finalise a strategy to save the “country from mining mafia and protect democracy.”
He denied Mr. Rosaiah’s statement that Mr. Jagan Mohan Reddy was not involved in the issue and added if that was so how come the company’s promoted by the latter – RR Global, Red Gold and Jagati Publications – were functioning from the same premises and it had been agreed to provide 50 per cent of the profit earned by OMC to RR global. “Mr. Rosaiah is speaking in favour of Mr. Jagan Mohan Reddy either due to fear or pressure to save his position and continue as the Chief Minister. Why are you protecting Mr. Jagan Mohan Reddy,” he questioned.
Asked whether he expected the Congress high command to act against the YSR family when it had given Pulivendual Assembly by-election ticket to the late Chief Minister’s wife Vijayalakshmi, Mr. Naidu said that was a political issue. The TDP leader condemned the arrest of the TRS president K. Chandrasekhara Rao for trying to go on a fast unto death and said it was “unfortunate and unwarranted.” He said the TDP’s stand to support formation of a separate Telengana remained unchanged.
Meanwhile, Mr. Rosaiah denied that he was afraid of Reddy brothers and said if that was so, he would not have asked for a CBI probe into the mining activity and ordered for suspension of mining activities and seizure of iron ore and other materials from OMC. He pointed out that the matter was pending in the Supreme Court and the Andhra Pradesh High Court.
