K’taka Cong stages walksout over BJP govt’s reply on Shivamogga blast

Bengaluru, Feb 1 : Outrightly rejecting the demand by opposition Congress, the Karnataka government on Monday declared that the probe into the blast in Shivamogga district that killed six people would be conducted by the revenue commissioner.
Taking umbrage over this decision, senior Congress leader and former Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah staged a walkout, alleging that the state government’s adamant stand on the probe is a clear indication that they are trying to protect the “high and mighty”.
“The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government’s adamant stand is a reflection of their actions. Your words on illegal mining and actions do not match. There is suspicion in your commitment, therefore, we (Congress) are staging a walkout in protest,” Siddaramaiah said.
Shivamogga is the home district of Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa as well as state Revenue Minister K.S. Eshwarappa. The Shivamogga Lok Sabha constituency is represented by Yediyurappa’s eldest son B.Y. Raghvendra.
As soon as Home, Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Basavaraj Bommai made this announcement, Leader of the Opposition Siddaramaiah asserted that a judicial commission headed by a sitting high court judge should be constituted ‘for the truth to come out’.
Bommai repeatedly contended that Karnataka would not allow illegal quarrying or mining in the state.