Bangalore, May 7 (IANS) The ruling Congress party in Karnataka has welcomed the conviction of mining baron and MLA Gali Janardhana Reddy and stated that it has sent a clear message to those who indulge in corrupt practices.
MLA Reddy represents the Gangavathy Assembly constituency in Karnataka.
In the Obulapuram mining case verdict on May 6, a CBI court in Hyderabad convicted Gali Janardhan Reddy and three others for illegal mining, causing Rs 884 crore loss. The case, dating back to 2009, exposed large-scale corruption and land misuse under the YSR government in erstwhile Andhra Pradesh. The court had sentenced Reddy to seven years of imprisonment.
Addressing a press conference, the Karnataka Congress Vice President V.S. Ugrappa stated, “The CBI Special Court sentencing Janardhan Reddy to 7 years in prison sends a strong and clear message to corrupt politicians across the country. This is a prime example showing that power-abusing leaders must eventually face justice.”
He further said, “29 lakh metric tonnes of iron ore were illegally exported by Janardhan Reddy and his team, valued at Rs 884 crore, as confirmed by the judge. Now, they have been punished. BJP leaders who were associated with him, including the national BJP leaders, must answer. I had previously stated that more than Rs 1 lakh crore worth of resources were looted.”
He further demanded, “I urge the state government to seize all assets of those involved, treating this loot as arrears of land revenue. Action must also be taken against the officials and state leaders who were in power at that time and benefited from this loot.”
Between 2000 and 2006, the period when the illegal mining was carried out, the coalition government led by Union Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy was in power. At that time, Forest Minister C. Chennigappa had written a letter to the Chief Minister highlighting the illegal mining. “Using that letter, I raised the issue in the Assembly, demanding a CBI inquiry,” Ugrappa recalled.
The then government appointed a commission headed by Justice U.L. Bhat, which later recommended a CBI investigation. “When we insisted on an inquiry, it was handed over to the Lokayukta. The Congress party, along with leaders like K.C. Kondaiah and me, stood behind this fight.
From Malpanagudi in Andhra Pradesh to Tumati and Vittalapura in Karnataka, across a 32 km stretch of mineral-rich land, Janardhan Reddy and his team illegally exported 29 lakh metric tonnes of iron ore,” Ugrappa alleged.
“The Congress party presented the most accurate and detailed report on illegal mining. The fact-finding committee, led by me, released the report on November 16, 2008. The Lokayukta used this report to prepare its preliminary findings. The Congress even held a large protest rally – the Republic of Bellary campaign – to raise public awareness,” Ugrappa stated.
“When former CM B.S. Yediyurappa spoke about illegal mining, he falsely claimed that no such activity had taken place. But it was the then government that supported this loot. At the time, former minister B. Sriramulu had even threatened forest officials, and complaints were filed against him. Today, those who abused power have rightly been punished,” he stated
“In the report I prepared, every detail of Janardhan Reddy and his team’s illegal actions was exposed. They even destroyed British-era boundary stones marking mining limits,” Ugrappa charged.
Janardhana Reddy re-joined the BJP in 2024 after making an announcement of the merger of his Kalyana Rajya Pragathi Paksha into the BJP.
When asked about the Congress unit of Karnataka, quoting Mahatma Gandhi’s peace message at the time of Operation Sindoor, Ugrappa maintained, “This was not intentional. For the last six months, we’ve been posting daily messages on social media to mark the 100th anniversary of the Belagavi Assembly Session. This post was part of that series.”
When asked about CM Siddaramaiah’s earlier remarks opposing war, the Congress leader said, “He has already clarified his stance. When an all-party meeting was called, the opposition leaders extended full support without any conditions. Congress is committed to supporting all decisions taken for national security. The nation comes first, politics comes later. The sacrifices of Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi were also for the nation.”
Ugrappa further stated, “After 26 people, including three civilians from Karnataka, were killed in the terrorist attack in Pahalgam on April 22, the Indian armed forces destroyed nine terrorist hideouts in a retaliatory strike. Pakistan is our enemy nation. This strike is a welcome move as it sends a strong message to the perpetrators of Pakistan-sponsored terrorism.
“The Congress party supports every decision taken by the Central Government in the interest of national security. This stance is backed by Mallikarjun Kharge and Sonia Gandhi,” he added.
–IANS
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