Siddaramaiah steals the show

Siddaramaiah was the last to address the people, who were eagerly waiting to hear him. He was the one who received maximum applause from the crowd, while former minister C M Ibrahim entertained the crowd with his witty one-liners.

“Is Janardhana Reddy a rowdy of Bellary? He thinks he is the 21st century Krishnadevaraya in the district. Even 100 Reddys can’t do anything to any Kannadiga. Reddy has received arrest warrant 18 times. Can a common man escape so many arrest warrants,” Siddaramaiah questioned.

He said Janardhana Reddy has no culture of addressing others with respect. He addresses everyone in singular.

MLA D K Shivakumar, who was seated next to Union Minister S M Krishna, said, “Janardhana Reddy should realise that he is a first-time MLC and his brother a first time MLA. They can’t threaten us. I have won Assembly elections five times. We too have compassion like the one possessed by Karna (of Mahabharatha), principles followed by Dharmaraya, strength of Bhima and also tantra (techniques) of Lord Krishna. We know that we have to adopt strategies, as did Krishna.”

Sound and fury

Ghulam Nabi Azad
Union Health Minister

I stayed in Bellary for 15 days in 1999 when Sonia Gandhi contested for  the Lok Sabha. I had not heard of his name (Janardhana Reddy) then. It seems then he did not even own a bicycle. But today he says he owns property worth more than Rs 10,000 crore. How could he make so much money in a short period?  The Centre’s silence (over the illegal mining) should not be mistaken for weakness. We are giving a chance to the CM to act.

Siddaramaiah
Leader of the Opposition
in the Assembly

Arrest warrant has been issued against Janardhana Reddy 18 times. But no attempt has been made to arrest him. This proves there is no rule of law in Bellary. The Reddys terrorise the local public to make them leave their properties. The Reddys have no respect for law of the land. The people of Bellary should raise voice against the misdeeds of the Reddys. Not this Reddy, even if 100 such Reddys come together, they can’t finish even one Kannadiga.

R V Deshpande
KPCC President

Yeddyurappa is hesitating to allow CBI inquiry into illegal mining as he is afraid of exposure. He holds all important portfolios – Forest, Mining and Finance and he is responsible for illegal mining in the State. I challenge the Chief Minister to dissolve the Legislative Assembly. We are ready to face the polls.

Motamma
Leader of the Opposition
in the Council

There is no rule of law in Bellary. The administration in Bellary resembles the rule of East India Company prevailing in the country centuries ago. A  police officer can’t enter Janardana Reddy’s residence with his side arm. The officer has to deposit his pistol outside before stepping inside.

S M Krishna
Minister for External Affairs

The natural resources of the country belong to all 100 crore people. It can’t be the private property of a few families. The Congress party in Karnataka has pressed the Centre for measures to stop illegal mining. The government at the Centre has taken the issue seriously and it will use its powers at the right time.

Veerappa Moily
Union Minister of Law

The Centre is not sitting quite on illegal mining issue. The Prime Minister has already worked out a law to curb loot of natural resources in the country. The Centre will come out with the law in a few days from now. The credit of bringing the law should go to the people of Karnataka.

C M Ibrahim
Former Union Minister

The Yeddyurappa Cabinet is full of criminals. The Reddys shifted boundary pillars on Andhra Pradesh-Karnataka boundary. An MLA, Sampangi was caught by the Lokayukta while he was accepting bribe. Halappa and Renukacharya are facing charges of sexual assault. How come people in the RSS, who claim to be clean, have not seen them?

D K Shivakumar
KPCC Working President

When the padayatra began in Bangalore, it was a Congress padayatra. But as it proceeded further, it became a people’s movement. All along the route we listened to the people’s complaints against the BJP.