Ballari: The warrant issued to minelords turned Congress legislators Mr B Nagendra and Mr B.S. Anand Singh by the Lokayukta Special Investigation Team (SIT) in connection with illicit iron ore export from Belekeri port, has reportedly angered the legislators.
"I'm not a kid, I am in politics and I know the reason for issuing the warrant at this juncture", said one of the legislators on the condition of anonymity.
According to sources, Ballari (ST) constituency MLA Mr Nagendra and Hosapete MLA Mr Singh are not ready to accept anything less than a minister post in the coalition government. "Everyone knows that the Lokayukta SIT functions under the state government and the SIT has reopened this case deliberately to silence me", said one of the legislators.
According to sources, the SIT had arrested Mr Singh earlier in 2014 and had also interrogated Mr Nagendra with the chargesheet filed in their cases. A cabinet sub-committee headed by former minister H.K. Patil had endorsed the SIT probe too.
Meanwhile, on Wednesday, the SIT arrested mine baron Mr Gali Janardhan Reddy's close associate Mr B.V. Srinivas Reddy in another case related to M/s Indian Mines and Minerals. "By arresting Srinivas Reddy, powerful people in the coalition government want to send a message to us that we too may face a similar fate if we fail to follow their diktats", said a close associate of the two legislators while blaming a Congress strongman for this development.
"The cases which are under investigation by the SIT include the Jantakal Mining and Hanuman Mines case in which Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy too is an accused," said a top source adding that a section of Congress leaders want to rein in the disgruntled legislators so that they can induct a legislator of their choice in the Cabinet and embarrass CM H.D. Kumaraswamy as well. "Such tactics will end in another rebellion against the coalition government", warned an aide of the disgruntled legislators.
