The Karnataka unit of the Congress on Tuesday slammed Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurapa for alleging that its party leaders were involved in illegal mining.
“The Chief Minister has lost his mental balance. Our fight is not only against illegal mining, but also against failures of the government on various fronts”, Karnataka PCC President R.V. Deshpande said, reacting to Mr. Yeddyurappa’s criticism of the Congress at the BJP rally held in Davanagere on Monday.
The government failed to render relief to the flood affected and construct houses for the poor, he charged.
Mr. Yeddyurappa on Tuesday lambasted the Congress for targeting him on the issue of illegal mining and alleged that Congress leaders were involved in it. “I will expose the Congress by staging rallies in all district headquarters after August 20”, he had said.
Meanwhile, the Congress’ Bangalore-Bellary padayatra led by opposition leader in the State Assembly Siddaramaiah entered the tenth day on Tuesday.
At Gopanahalli in Hiriyur taluk, Congress activists paraded a look-alike of Health Minister B. Sreeramulu, a mining magnate of Bellary, who has launched a padayatra in his home district to counter the Congress protest. Mr. Sreeramulu is a close associate of the Reddy brothers — Ministers Janardhana and Karunakara — facing allegations of illegal mining.
The look-alike was handcuffed and made to walk along with the Congress activists who shouted slogans against the Health Minister.
