Judicial commission a ploy to shield guilty, alleges KPCC

Bangalore, July 24 (UNI) The Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) today accused the State Government of trying to bury the truth and shield the guilty by appointing a judicial commission on the alleged illegal mining activities across the State, sans the bribery charge against the Chief Minister.

Addressing a press conference here, KPCC Spokeperson V S Ugrappa, MLC, noted that the terms of reference of the Justice U L Bhat Commission of Inquiry pertained only to illegal mining and remained silent on the bribery charge levelled against Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy by suspended BJP MLC Janardhan Reddy.

He alleged that the State Government had ordered the judicial inquiry, rejecting the demand of the Opposition parties for a CBI probe, only to cover up the alleged involvement of Mr Kumaraswamy, Forests Minister C Chennigappa and Home Minister M P Prakash.

Despite receiving a report from Mr Chennigappa about the ongoing illegal mining activities in Bellary district, plundering of forest wealth and loss of thousands of crores of Rupees revenue to the State exchequer, the Chief Minister had failed to initiate any action to curb it for ''obvious reasons,'' he charged.

Mr Ugrappa also accused the State Government of trying to shield somebody in the controversial Bangalore-Mysore Infrastructure Corridor project as the terms of reference for the judicial inquiry into the case wanted a probe from 1997 while the MoU for the project was signed in 1995 during the Chief Ministership of Mr H D Deve Gowda.

UNI MV GD HVB1435