K'taka facing constitutional breakdown, says Poojary

Bangalore, July 21 (UNI) Senior Congress leader and Rajya Sabha member B Janardhana Poojary today claimed that there was constitutional breakdown in Karnataka following a BJP legislator levelling serious bribery charges against Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy.

Addressing a press conference here, he demanded a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) inquiry into Mr Reddy's allegation that Mr Kumaraswamy and his ministerial colleagues had received a bribe of Rs 150 crore from the mining lobby in Bellary district. If not, the Congress would launch a statewide agitation, he warned.

Accusing the Chief Minister and his cabinet colleagues of violating the oath of office, he urged Governor T N Chaturvedi to send a report to the Centre on the issue based on which the latter could intervene under various provisions of the Income Tax Act and the Preservation of Forest Act.

Mr Poojary dared JD (S) President H D Deve Gowda to prevail upon his son Kumaraswamy to dissolve the Assembly and seek a fresh mandate, if he genuinely believed that the BJP was indulging in ''arm-twisting tactics.'' Lambasting the BJP for punishing Mr Reddy for coming out with the truth, he alleged that the BJP, which had stalled Parliamentary proceedings for many days demanding a CBI inquiry into the sensational Bofors scandal, was attempting to browbeat its own legislator in a bid to cover up the bribery charge.

Mr Poojary alleged that the state government had disregarded the Supreme Court judgment by ordering a judicial inquiry into the controversial Bangalore-Mysore Infrastructure Corridor Project.

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