The Opposition parties were not cooperating with the government in checking illegal mining, Karnataka CM Yeddyurappa charged.
Business in both houses of the Karnataka legislatures remained disrupted for the second successive day today with no solution was in sight to end the indefinite dharna by Opposition Congress and JDS over their demand for a CBI inquiry into the illegal mining, which the BJP government has firmly rejected.
The stand-off between the ruling BJP and Opposition is continuing in the wake of both the sides clinging to their
obstinate stand and indulging in a blame game.
As attempts to mollify the Opposition to relent made by the government failed to succeed, an incensed chief minister BS Yeddyurappa declared "We will not hand it over to the CBI. The government is not working at that option at all."
The Opposition parties were not cooperating with the government in checking illegal mining, Yeddyurappa charged.
Rebutting the allegations by Yeddyurappa, Opposition Congress leader Siddaramaiah said, "This is a thick skinned government. Those engaged in illegal mining are in his ministry and he (Yeddyurappa) is giving them protection," obviously targetting three ministers of Bellary, including tourism minister G Janardhana Reddy, who are also into mining business.
Enthused by certain spiking comments made by governor H R Bhardwaj in Delhi against mining magnets of the Yeddyurappa ministry after meeting president Pratibha Patil, the Opposition parties engaged themselves in consultations charting out their future plans to step up their campaign against the government and decided to continue their dharna till their demand for a CBI probe was accepted.
"We will continue our dharna till the chief minister concedes our demand. We will also be chalking out programmes on our "Bellary chalo" agitation in a day or two," senior Congress leader DK Shivakumar said after a meeting of his party MLAs held at the state secretariat Vidhana Soudha.
Congress had yesterday announced that as part of its "Bellary Chalo" agitation, it would undertake padayatra from here to Bellary, which would also have participation from its top leaders from Delhi.
Not be cowed down, BJP also summoned an emergent meeting of its legislature party today, debated on the situation arising out of the opposition dharna and directed its members to remain present in both houses of legislatures to face any eventuality.
Sources in BJP told PTI that the government will wait for three to four days hoping that opposition will relent, failing which to go ahead with voting on finance bills and ensure sine die adjournment of the house.
"There is no question of seeking CBI investigation into illegal mining. Congress is trying to create confusion in the minds of people by clinging to personal prestige," Eswarappa said.
"The on-going probe by Lokayukta will continue," Yeddyurappa declared, ruling out accepting the opposition demand.
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