BSY goes full throttle against Reddys, Hegde

BELLARY: The BJP, during its election campaign, touched upon the Lokayukta report on illegal mining, the working of former Lokayukta N Santosh Hegde and the Reddys’ alleged misrule in Bellary.Former chief minister B S Yeddyurappa, who is camping in Bellary for the BJP campaign, hogged the limelight at a press meet here on Wednesday, that was also attended by CM D V Sadananda Gowda.Yeddyurappa dwelt at length on the Lokayukta report, how he was indicted and how the Bellary ministers misused the enormous power bestowed on them by the BJP. He asked, “Why is Santosh Hegde keeping mum over the telephone tapping episode, even after I have resigned? This needs to be explained to the 6 crore-odd Kannadigas.”He cast aspersions on the report’s leakage prior to its submission to the state government, while claiming that he was the first to stop illegal export of iron ore. Though the Lokayukta was asked to submit the complete report on export and import of illegally mined ore, he failed to do so, the former CM asserted, while challenging Hegde to prove that the Prerna Trust run by his family accepted donations from Jindal Steels. “No CM has extended as many facilities to OBCs and SC/STs as I did,” the former CM said.