Ministers come to CM's rescue

It has become a trend of sorts. Every time an allegation is made against Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa, a section of his loyalists group together for the rescue of their leader.

This time, Ministers R Ashok, Katta Subramanya Naidu and Bachegowda on Sunday joined hands to counter the charges levelled by former chief minister and JD(S) leader H D Kumaraswamy.

Kumaraswamy on Saturday had charged that the CM was involved in the alleged land purchase scam of the .

Speaking to reporters, the ministers pointed out that chief minister Yeddyurappa had nothing to hide, but had in fact ordered a high-level probe by the chief secretary on land purchased by the KHB over the five years.

Baseless allegations
The ministers even demanded an apology from Kumaraswamy for making baseless allegations against the chief minister.

Bachegowda said he would even move a privilege motion against Kumaraswamy in the legislature.

Ashok alleged that it was during Kumaraswamy’s regime that irregularities had taken place in land acquisition and construction work in setting up of the Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences (RGUHS) campus at Ramanagara.

Advances to the tune of Rs 33 crore had been made to private contractors even before the land acquisition process had been completed, he charged.

Bachegowda alleged Kumaraswamy had almost succeeded in handing over hundreds of acres of prime land in Nandagudi in Hoskote taluk in the name of the SEZ to a private firm.