Assembly ruckus: Gowda flays Yeddyurappa

 “The vulgar and uncivilised language used by Tourism Minister G Janardhana Reddy against Opposition Congress after Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa replied to the illegal mining issue showed the total breakdown of law and order machinery in the state,” Gowda told reporters here on Saturday.

Flaying Yeddyurappa for remaining silent when Reddy intervened after his speech, Gowda said the chief minister should have warned him not to overstep his limits and use such language. “By not doing so, Yeddyurappa has failed to command the respect of the house and shown he is weak,” he said.

Slamming the government for its  ‘unparliamentary’ conduct in the Assembly, Gowda suggested that Governor H R Bhardwaj recommend President’s rule in the state. “The governor, who is bold, mature and a man of high integrity with 40 years experience of public life, should know and recommend imposition of Article 356,” he said.

Blaming Yeddyurappa for the “behaviour of MLAs loyal to Bellary ministers”, he charged him with giving full support to the Reddy brothers, despite knowing their “illegal activities” as deputy chief minister during the JD(S)-BJP coalition rule. He demanded that Yeddyurappa should dismiss such ministers.

High Court directive

Gowda also criticised the UPA government for “closing its eyes over rampant looting of mineral resources in the state”. He alleged that iron ore was being sent to Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu despite a high court directive to stop export of the mineral from Belekeri, Karwar and Mangalore ports, “Nobody can stop it,” he said.

Gowda termed as a drama the BJP government’s efforts to make Karnataka Lokayukta Santosh Hegde withdraw his resignation and said grant of suo moto powers to him would not be of much use as he himself had admitted it.

JDS state unit president H D Kumaraswamy said he would write to both AICC chief Sonia Gandhi and BJP leader Sushma Swaraj on illegal mining in Bellary. He said he would make a formal announcement on the “Save Bellary Campaign” which they planned to undertake with leaders from all walks of life, including the Opposition Congress, writers and intellectuals at a function here to felicitate former deputy chief minister M P Prakash.