Illegal mining: Puttaraju terms Melkote MLA's allegations as baseless

MP C S Puttaraju, on Saturday, brushed aside Melkote MLA K S Puttannaiah’s allegations that the MP is responsible for running of illegal stone mining in the taluk.

Addressing JD(S) party workers at the Taluk Agricultural Produce Co-operative Marketing Society (TAPCMS) auditorium here Puttaraju said, the allegations of Puttannaiah are baseless and politically motivated.

“The MLA is trying to defame me as the elections are approaching. My family members have been running three crushing units for decades, legally. The disputed land comes under the gram panchayat and is a ‘Gomaala’. It is not a forest land as alleged. Crushers are functioning since 2000, after obtaining necessary permission. I have all necessary documents and all the units are legal,” Puttaraju said.

The MP said, when he contacted Chief Minister Siddaramaiah over phone about the allegations levelled by the MLA, the CM said, not to worry about his baseless allegations.

JD(S) leaders Hiremarali Dharmaraju, Pradeep Kumar, Beerappa, and Shashidar were present.