Congress should ban export of iron ore from Karnataka: Kumaraswamy
July 26th, 2010 - 6:10 pm ICT by IANS
New Delhi, July 26 (IANS) 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.
- Karnataka bans iron ore exports - Jul 29, 2010
- Congress, JD-S MLAs to continue 24-hour assembly sit-in - Jul 13, 2010
- JD-S rubbishes Reddy' claims of not mining in Karnataka (Roundup) - Jul 20, 2010
- Congress begins walk to Bellary against illegal mining - Jul 25, 2010
- Conspiracy theories galore as protest in Kerala assembly continues - Jul 15, 2010
- Illegal iron ore mining, export on despite ban: Congress - Aug 30, 2010
- Congress worker dies during march against illegal mining (Lead) - Jul 25, 2010
- Yeddyurappa blames Congress, JD-S for illegal mining - Apr 16, 2011
- Illegal mining: 8 politicos, 500 officials and Rs.18 bn loss - Jul 21, 2011
- Karnataka governor trying to destabilise state government: BJP - Jul 13, 2010
- Yeddyurappa disapproves of Reddys' Bellary show - Jul 30, 2010
- Reddys empire: mines in Andhra, politics in Karnataka - Sep 05, 2011
- Illegal mining: Court allows probe of Krishna, Kumaraswamy's role (Lead) - Jan 20, 2012
- Murky goings on in Karnataka make India sit up (Letter From Bangalore) - Jul 14, 2010
- Illegal mining scam: Reddy asks Congress leaders to witness Bellary's developments - Aug 06, 2010
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