KPCC chief G Parameshwara on Saturday said action will be taken against Infrastructure Development Minister Santosh Lad if allegations of his involvement in illegal mining is proved.

Speaking to reporters, he said the Congress party does not shelter those who have caused loss to the State exchequer by indulging in illegal mining. “It is not proper to unnecessarily drag his (Lad) name in the issue. His name is not mentioned in the Karnataka Lokayukta report on illegal mining. However, I will have a look at the documents and take an appropriate decision,” he added.

He was reacting to the State BJP leaders submitting a memorandum to Governor H R Bhardwaj demanding that Lad should be dropped from the State ministry. 

The BJP is making use of the report for political gains. Though the party was in power when the report was submitted, it did not take any action, he charged.

On the issue of assessing the performance of ministers in the Siddaramaiah government, Parameshwara said the assessment is being done as per the direction of the Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi. Assessing the performance of ministers, legislators and MPs is nothing new in the Congress. The KPCC has to submit a report in this regard to the AICC once in every four months, he added.

‘Common in all parties’

The KPCC chief sought to play down the recent clash between two rival groups in Mandya Congress, saying that such incidents are common in all political parties. “I do not encourage such incidents. But arguments and counter arguments are common. I will talk to both the groups and sort it out,” he stated.

Two groups, one owing allegiance to Housing Minister Ambareesh supporter Amaravati Chandrashekhar, and the other to the district party unit president Atmanand and his lieutenant T S Satyanand, indulged in a bitter fight at a meeting convened by the KPCC chief on Friday. The meeting was called to announce plans for receiving the AICC president Sonia Gandhi on September 30.