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Bangalore, May 8 (PTI) JDS chief H D Devegowda today accused the ruling Congress and main opposition BJP of stalling a debate in Parliament on illegal mining in Karnataka "fearing they would be exposed". He told reporters that Left parties, TDP, AIADMK and JDS had given a notice to Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar for a debate on illegal mining in Bellary district, in which Karnataka ministers G Janardhana Reddy and Karunakara Reddy were allegedly involved. "We met the Speaker at least three to four times. She said the discussion will be allowed after passage of the Finance Bill. Meantime, the Mines Minister took ill. We never insisted for a reply by the minister. It could have been by any minister. In the end, no opportunity was given," he said. Devegowda said the Speaker had suggested that he should raise the matter during zero hour, but this was not acceptable to him. He alleged that Opposition leader Sushma Swaraj, Ananth Kumar and others wanted to "scuttle" the debate. Asked about the reason for Congress to stall the debate, the JDS chief said "If late Y S Rajashekhara Reddy were alive, he would have told it", apparently referring to close ties the Reddy brothers had with the late Andhra Pradesh chief minister. "Both Congress and BJP prevented the debate fearing they would be exposed," Devegowda alleged. The JDS chief has been waging a battle against Reddy brothers, who once levelled a Rs 150 crore bribery charge against his son H D Kumaraswamy when he headed the Karnataka government in 2006. Reddy brothers were transporting 10,000 to 15,000 tons of fine grade iron ore illegally from Ramgadda area daily, but authorities had not taken any action, he alleged. Devegowda claimed that the duo had entered into an MoU with 48 mine owners in the district, under which 40 per cent of the mined ore was to be surrendered free of cost for carrying on operations. The JDS leader said he would soon visit Bellary and decide on the future course of agitation against illegal mining.
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