Tensions heighten ahead of illegal mining report
The battlelines appeared drawn on Wednesday ahead of Karnataka Lokayukta N. Santosh Hegde submitting his report on illegal mining, naming Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa amongst others. While Hegde said he had no hope of it being implemented by the government, a seemingly unfazed Yeddyurappa said he was not quitting.
Hours ahead of the submission of the report, which will decide Yeddyurappa's political fate, Hegde told reporters: "I have no hope that the report will be implemented by the government. But I hope the Supreme Court takes cognizance as they are already monitoring illegal mining."
Yeddyurappa began his morning with prayers at Tirupati, the famous hill shrine in neighbouring Andhra Pradesh. As speculation mounted about his exiting as the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) first chief minister in the country's south, he told reporters: "God and people are with me."
"I am not resigning. My party high command has not asked for it," he said on returning from Tirupati.
Yeddyurappa, who believes that he is being targeted by the opposition, said he had prayed for many things at the temple.
"I prayed for so many things... I am doing so much good work. Why opposition parties are doing like this?"
With contents of the report already out, focus is on the action that Hegde will recommend against Yeddyurappa.
Hegde has also named four ministers -- the mining barons G. Janardhana Reddy and his brother G. Karunakara, their associate B. Sriramulu and Yeddyurappa loyalist V. Somanna.
Others found guilty of various offences are former chief minister and Janata Dal-Secular state chief H.D. Kumaraswamy and Congress Rajya Sabha member Anil Lad.
Yedddyurappa is likely to fly to New Delhi with Hegde's report Wednesday evening for talks with BJP leaders.
The BJP leadership has kept its options open about the removal of Yeddyurappa. Party leaders have said that further course of action would depend on the nature and seriousness of charges against him.
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