By IANS,
New Delhi: Former chief minister and Janata Dal-Secular (JD-S) leader H.D. Kumaraswamy Monday slammed the Congress for its padyatra in Karnataka to protest against illegal mining, saying the party should instead use its power to ban the export of iron ore from the state.
“The Congress is repeating its mistake. They should have used their power at the centre to put an end to the illegal export of iron ore,” Kumaraswamy, a Lok Sabha MP, told IANS.
The opposition Congress in Karnataka began a 320-km padyatra from Bangalore to Bellary to take on the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government’s powerful Reddy brothers over their alleged involvement in illegal mining.
Kumaraswamy said the Congress, which heads the UPA at the centre, should have used its power to ban export of the iron ore through the ports in Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Goa.
The state Congress leaders and workers plan to reach Bellary district Aug 9 – the ‘Quit India’ movement day.
The Reddy brothers – state Tourism Minister G. Janardhana Reddy, Revenue Minister G. Karunakara Reddy and G. Somashekara Reddy, a legislator – are accused of illegal mining and export of iron ore worth crores of rupees.
They have rejected the allegations. The opposition has demand a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the “mining scam”.
Kumaraswamy said the Congress’s padyatra was a failure as people are not participating in it “voluntarily”.
“Only the organised party workers are participating in the padyatra. There is no voluntary participation by the masses,” Kumaraswamy said, adding that the JD-S would hold rallies against illegal mining and the “misrule” of the BJP soon.
He also rejected a joint Congress-JD-S agitation against the Reddy brothers.