Pressure is mounting on Siddaramaiah to drop mining baron and Information Minister Santhosh lad from the Ministry.
The illegal mining ghost is back again now to haunt the Congress Government, which rode to power on the same issue by toppling the BJP Government. Pressure is mounting on Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to drop Information and infrastructure Minister Santhosh lad from the cabinet for his alleged role in illegal mining.
Santhosh lad, a mining baron from Bellary, is now caught in the whirlpool of alleged illegal mining.
The anti-mining crusader SR Hiremath of Samaja Parivaratana Samudaya (SPS) has submitted many documents to Governor HN Bhardwaj asking him to intervene to sack Santhosh lad.
In a letter to the Governor, along with 126-page document which the Samudaya claims to prove the involvement of Santosh lad in illegal mining, he has pointed out that VS lad & Sons, in which Santosh lad is a partner, has been categorised as ‘C’ grade company by the joint team of CEC and thereby its mining operations be suspended and lease cancelled and that a police investigation was pending against the company for illegal mining.
Hiremath claims Minister Santhosh lad is third partner in the company, holding 25 per cent and drawing salary of `1.08 crore per annum cant distance himself from the allegations.
According to Hiremath documents have also been sent to AICC President Sonia Gandhi, KPCC President G Parameshwara and Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.
The SPS, which is fighting illegal mining in the State and demanding probity in public life, is consistently building pressure on Siddaramaiah to drop lad in view of the alleged involvement of the Minister’s partnership firm, VS lad and Sons, in illegal mining.
Hiremath told the media that he had submitted two FIRs filed by forest officials of Sandur, a report of the lokayukta, the report of the court-appointed Central Empowered Committee and the final judgment of the Supreme Court to support the charge of illegalities committed by the mining lessee.
He said “It is significant that the High Court of Karnataka rejected an appeal from VS lad and Sons seeking the quashing of the FIR in its first judgment (November 15, 2010).”
Siddaramaiah held a padayatra to Bellary to fight illegal mining when he was the leader of the Opposition and took on the then ruling BJP Government.
He said, “The Governor was also convinced of our argument and has assured us of impressing upon Siddaramaiah to drop lad from the Cabinet.”However, Siddaramaiah has been maintaining that Minister lad was not involved in illegal mining.
Meanwhile the BJP on Wednesday took out a protest march against Congress Government asking the Chief Minister to drop lad for his alleged role in illegal mining.
BJPIJleaders, including party State president Pralhad Joshi, former Chief Minister DV Sadananda Gowda, former deputy CM R Ashoka, Eshwarappa and hundreds of party workers marched from Freedom Park towards chief ministers home office ‘Krishna,’ in support of their demands. However, police stopped them and arrested the BJP leaders.
BJP president Prahlad Joshi accused Chief Minister Siddaramaiah against illegal mining, of adopting double standards and allowing lad to continue in the ministry, despite documents indicating his involvement in the scam.Former Chief Minister and KJP leader BS Yeddyurappa also demanded chief minister to drop Santhosh lad for his involvement in illegal mining.