New Delhi:
The BJP is not giving up mining barons - the Reddy brothers. Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yeddyurappa came out strongly in support of the controversial Reddy brothers, who are in the middle of a raging illegal mining scandal, saying they have done nothing wrong.
"We have discussed in detail about the illegal mining issue and no where are they responsible for this illegal mining. Yesterday, when I called on our senior leaders, like Advaniji, Nitinji and Sushmaji, we discussed the prevailing political situation in Karnataka," said Yeddyurappa.
The Karnataka Chief Minister also said he will ask the Lokayukta to probe all illegal mining cases from 2002 till date.
Earlier, Yeddyurappa met the BJP top brass in Delhi including L K Advani and Sushma Swaraj. The BJP has been facing the heat from the Opposition in the Assembly, with Congress and JD(S) MLAs staging sleep-in protests in the Assembly against the alleged illegal mining by Reddy brothers.
Karnataka ministers G Janardhan Reddy and G Karuanakar Reddy, under pressure over allegations of illegal mining, on Sunday paid an unscheduled visit here and met senior BJP leader Sushma Swaraj and Yeddyurappa, after which they dismissed all the charges against them. (
Read: Reddy brothers meet Karnataka CM)
The meeting between the Reddy brothers and Swaraj, who is considered close to them, as also the Chief Minister at the Karnataka Bhawan here came a day after Yeddyurappa held a series of meetings with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Home Minister P Chidambaram, senior BJP leader L K Advani and party chief Nitin Gadkari.
Janardhan Reddy, Tourism Minister, said he and Karunakar, Revenue Minister, apprised Swaraj of all the developments.
"We have explained in detail to Swaraj and she has come to know about every detail and what the Congress strategy is", Janardhan Reddy told reporters after the meeting.
"There is nothing in the allegations levelled by Congress. Congress has lost its image. For nothing, they are fighting. Whatever the Congress strategy is, it will fail", he said.
Asked about support from the Chief Minister, Janardhan said "we are all fighting together against Congress. We are all honest BJP workers".
He said he and his brother would hold a press conference in Bangalore tomorrow to respond to allegations by Congress against them.
The BJP leadership is caught in the horns of dilemma of saving its government in Karnataka and at the same time ensuring that its image, in the face of the charges made against the Reddy brothers, does not take a beating.
Advani has asked the Karnataka party unit to make all efforts to save its first government in the South in case the party has to act against Janardhan Reddy and Karunakar Reddy in the wake of stepped up opposition to their continuance in government. (With PTI inputs)