Gowda was speaking to reporters at the JSW Airport at Toranagal on his way to Koppal to campaign for his party candidate in the Koppal byelection.

He said the BJP high command had taken a serious note of the arrest of Reddy, who had been instrumental in bringing the party to power in the State.

He said, during his visit to Delhi on Saturday, he would hold discussions with BJP National President Nitin Gadakari on the issue. The CBI is working at the behest of the UPA Government. People are also aware of the UPA Government’s attitude towards states like Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh and Bihar, he said.

Politically motivated

Gowda said the arrest of Janardhana Reddy was politically motivated. The party hoped Reddy came out of the episode unscathed.

He said a committee had been constituted to look into the Lokayukta’ s report on illegal mining in the State.

The report of the committee is likely to be submitted after September 18 and only then the government could think about taking action against the accused, the chief minister added.

In Koppal, BJP State President K S Eshwarappa alleged that Congress and JD(S) were using CBI and Lokayukta to create problems for the BJP in the State.

Eshwarapp - who was in Koppal to campaign on behalf of Karadi Sanganna, the BJP candidate for the bypoll - said if the two parties continued behaving in the same manner, the people would defeat them in the next election.

On the raid on Janardhana Reddy’s house, Eshwarappa said the CBI had behaved like an agent of the UPA Government.

The Congress and JD(S) leaders have also been a party to illegal mining, he said and added that the BJP leaders, who are facing allegations of illegal mining, will soon be acquitted of the charges.