'Prison visit was official'

He interacted with many inmates to enquire about the problems they faced in the prison, he told presspersons in Bangalore on Friday.

The minister said there were many appeals to his office that the inmates were not getting proper medical facilities and the dispensary in the prison did not have sufficient staff. After the visit, he directed officials to provide medical facilities in the prision, he added. He denied of talking to the inmates of Bellary origin.

When his attention was drawn to the CM’s admission to illegal mining in the State, Sriramulu retorted by saying, “But we are not responsible for that. We can’t keep an eye on who is doing what. The state machinery will do that.”

The Congress leaders had contempt for people of Bellary. Leader of Opposition Siddaramaiah should not forget the fact that the people of Bellary had supported the Congress for many decades. They elected Congress leader Sonia Gandhi too, he pointed out. The minister said he had discussed to take out a padayatra from Bellary to Mysore with party’s state president K S Eshwarappa and Chief Minister. The party would work out the route map and many leaders of the party would take part.