Bangalore:
Former Prime Minister and JD(S) chief H D Deve Gowda today observed a day's fast demanding a CBI inquiry into the recent murder of a man who was protesting against Bangalore-Mysore Expressway project.
"We went to the Chief Minister and made the representation to book the culprits. They should arrest Ashok Kheny (MD of NICE). It's unfortunate that they have not been booked. On that I declared one-day hunger strike. I didn't even take water from morning. They should be arrested and the case referred to the CBI," he said.
Mr Gowda, who went on the fast in front of the Mahatma Gandhi statue in Bangalore, alleged that the firm implementing the controversial Bangalore Mysore Infrastructure Corridor (BMIC) project, was behind the killing of Siddalinga Prabhu.
He also alleged that the firm, Nandi Infrastructure Corridor Enterprise (NICE), was threatening and harassing farmers in collusion with state police.
He claimed the state government failed to take cognisance of a letter written by senior Supreme Court advocate Prashant Bhushan to the state government last year complaining about the threat to Prabhu, who was hacked to death on October 17.
Despite an FIR filed against NICE chief Ashok Kheny and his men, police took no action, said Mr Gowda, who himself has been carrying on a sustained campaign against the project alleging irregularities in land acquisition.
He said he would the raise the issue in the ongoing Winter Session of Parliament and also meet leaders of regional parties in Delhi and discuss 'irregularities' in the BMIC project.
"We went to the Chief Minister and made the representation to book the culprits. They should arrest Ashok Kheny (MD of NICE). It's unfortunate that they have not been booked. On that I declared one-day hunger strike. I didn't even take water from morning. They should be arrested and the case referred to the CBI," he said.
Mr Gowda, who went on the fast in front of the Mahatma Gandhi statue in Bangalore, alleged that the firm implementing the controversial Bangalore Mysore Infrastructure Corridor (BMIC) project, was behind the killing of Siddalinga Prabhu.
He also alleged that the firm, Nandi Infrastructure Corridor Enterprise (NICE), was threatening and harassing farmers in collusion with state police.
He claimed the state government failed to take cognisance of a letter written by senior Supreme Court advocate Prashant Bhushan to the state government last year complaining about the threat to Prabhu, who was hacked to death on October 17.
Despite an FIR filed against NICE chief Ashok Kheny and his men, police took no action, said Mr Gowda, who himself has been carrying on a sustained campaign against the project alleging irregularities in land acquisition.
He said he would the raise the issue in the ongoing Winter Session of Parliament and also meet leaders of regional parties in Delhi and discuss 'irregularities' in the BMIC project.
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