K'taka: Meet other 'corrupt' politicos besides Yeddyurappa

Bangalore, Oct 25: Former Karnataka Chief Minister, BS Yeddyurappa has currently been lodged in Parappana Agrahara central jail in Bangalore. He has been barred to celebrate Diwali with his family following repetitive reservations of his bail pleas. He was arrested over two land denotification cases and his name also has been indicted in the illegal mining report tabled by former Lokayukta, Santosh Hegde.

It seems that Yeddyurappa has become the one and only target of the local as well as the national media along with several political parties. But a minute study enlightens an unheard saga which has been buried under many unseen power and political pressure.

Hegde's mining report highlighted only Yeddyurappa's name but what about other politicians as illegal mining started in 2003 and not from 2008. Here it can be recalled that the BJP government led by Yeddyurappa came into power in Karnataka in 2008.

The mining report, which led to the downfall of Yeddyurappa's reign in the state, did not mention other Chief Ministers names - the predecessors of the scam tainted ex CM - SM Krishna, HD Kumaraswamy.

National media reports, quite surprisingly, did not focus on the parts of Hegde's report which revealed that both the state and the nation faced a loss of whopping Rs 20,000 crore since 2000 and the Yeddyurappa government might have caused at least Rs 1,827 crore loss in the above mentioned Rs 20,000 crore loss. It becomes clear that the Janata Dal and the Congress government caused the 90 percent loss to the nation.

In another shocking revelation, reports show how Ramesh Thakur had allocated hatful of mining licenses as governor during the President's rule in the state.

Experts claim that no other governor would have granted so many mining licenses at a time and that too during the president's rule.

According to a report by Times of India, only 24 mining leases were recommended to the Centre during the regime of Yeddyurappa, a total 47 cases were recommended to the Centre during the period of HD Kumaraswamy within a short period of 20 months in power. A total of 22 of the 47 recommendations were made in the last 15 days of Kumaraswamy's rule. While a total of 106 mining leases were recommended to the Centre by the former chief ministers SM Krishna, Dharam Singh and Kumaraswamy, governor Rameshwar Thakur had made recommendations for 22 mining leases. Here it should be mentioned that out of the 152 mining lease recommendations from the state, 128 were sent by non-BJP governments.

Hegde, in his another report submitted in 2008, had named Congress CM Dharam Singh who was held responsible for causing a loss of Rs 23,22,11,850 to the exchequer. However, no media has thrown light on Dharam Singh's alleged involvement in the corruption scandal but at the same time they did not fail to poke at Yeddyurappa.

The then mining minister, V Muniyappa under SM Krishna's government in 2003 had allowed quarrying even in forest areas. No media and political organisations raised those issues during that time.

Illegal mining in Bellary also hogged the limelight besides Yeddyurappa's involvement but how many people know that Congress President, Sonia Gandhi had won election from the same cursed district? Neither a media organisation nor a anti-BJP party has raised the question - who had helped the UPA queen financially and with manpower to win the election?

Meanwhile, another big fish - Anil Lad escaped the media attention. Lad became a Rajya Sabha MP with Sonia's blessing. Lad's mining company in Bellary was raided over allegations that it was involved in illegal mining scam. However, Lad escaped the controversy blaming Yeddyurappa government of taking political vengeance against him and his party.

Citing the above mentioned reports, it is clear that Yeddyurappa has got himself tangled in whole corruption net in Karnataka. Though here it can be mentioned that Yedyurappa was the first CM of India who banned iron ore export and also allowed the Lokayukta investigation to go beyond the year 2008.

It would be unfair if we don't mention about the famous Reddy brothers who have been lodged in jail in Andhra Pradesh over their alleged roles in the illegal mining scams - in Bellary and some parts of Southern India.

When Yeddyurappa was brutally bruised by the media, no one has so far concentrated on the issue - Reddy brothers of Bellary, Where did they came from in Ananthapur district of Andhra Pradesh? What was their connection for a long number of years with the then Congress strongman YSR?

So, Yeddyurappa is not only one who has been involved in corruption cases in Karnataka but still he is the only one who has been facing the wrath and criticism from media and opposition parties.

OneIndia News