Congress begins walk to Bellary against illegal mining
July 25th, 2010 - 1:53 pm ICT by IANS
Bangalore, July 25 (IANS) The Congress, the main opposition party in Karnataka, Sunday began a 320-km ‘padyatra’ (walk) from Bangalore to Bellary to take on the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party’s powerful ministers, the Reddy brothers, over illegal mining.
State Congress leaders and workers plan to walk 20 km a day and reach the iron-ore rich Bellary district Aug 9, coinciding with the ‘Quit India’ movement against the British colonialists, and hold a rally in the political base of the Reddy brothers.
Several freedom fighters and writers, including Jnanpith award winner U.R. Anantha Murthy, have extended support for the walk and were present at the Freedom Park in the heart of Bangalore for the brief launch ceremony.
Freedom Park was earlier the city’s central jail where during the 1975-77 Emergency where several senior opposition leaders including, Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) L.K. Advani were lodged.
The BJP plans to counter the Congress ‘padayatra’ by organising four rallies beginning with Davangere in central Karnataka Aug 2, Gulbarga in the north Aug 5, Mysore in the south Aug 12 and the last one in Bellary Aug 20.
The Reddy brothers - state Tourism Minister G. Janardhana, his elder brother and Revenue Minister G. Karunakara and the younger G. Somashekara, a member of the assembly - are accused of large-scale illegal mining and export of iron ore.
Janardhana Reddy, the most vocal of the brothers, has denied the allegations but Congress and Janata Dal-Secular (JD-S) are insisting on a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the issue.
Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa has rejected the demand and has asked the state Lok Ayukta (ombudsman) N. Santosh Hegde, a retired Supreme Court judge, to investigate the illegal mining and export since 2000-2001.
Though the Reddy brothers and their supporting legislators from Bellary have dared opposition members to visit the district, the Congress is saying the walk is not against individuals but to expose illegal mining and the BJP government’s failure on several fronts.
- Congress worker dies during march against illegal mining (Lead) - Jul 25, 2010
- Illegal mining scam: Reddy asks Congress leaders to witness Bellary's developments - Aug 06, 2010
- Congress tried to woo Reddy brothers: Sushma Swaraj - Aug 20, 2010
- Illegal iron ore mining, export on despite ban: Congress - Aug 30, 2010
- Yeddyurappa disapproves of Reddys' Bellary show - Jul 30, 2010
- Karnataka bans iron ore exports - Jul 29, 2010
- Congress should ban export of iron ore from Karnataka: Kumaraswamy - Jul 26, 2010
- Illegal mining issue: Congress treads into Reddy's Bellary turf - Aug 09, 2010
- Yeddyurappa loses cool at Dalit protesters in BJP rally - Aug 02, 2010
- Karnataka's season of rallies, prayers, power cuts - Jul 24, 2010
- Reddys empire: mines in Andhra, politics in Karnataka - Sep 05, 2011
- Congress, JD-S MLAs to continue 24-hour assembly sit-in - Jul 13, 2010
- Congress' march reaches Bellary's outskirts - Aug 09, 2010
- Raid on Karnataka Congress MP's mine company in Bellary - Aug 28, 2010
- Karnataka Governor urges Centre to intervene in illegal mining issue - Jul 13, 2010
Tags: anantha, cbi probe, central bureau of investigation, central jail, congress leaders, davangere, freedom park, india movement, janata party, l k advani, lok ayukta, main opposition party, opposition leaders, opposition members, revenue minister, state congress, state tourism, supreme court judge, tourism minister, u r anantha murthy