Karnataka - Bangalore

Video-clipping is fake, says Chennigappa

Staff Reporter

BANGALORE: Minister for Forests C. Chennigappa has termed false the allegation of Janardhana Reddy, Bharatiya Janata Party MLC who has been suspended from the party, that he was the conduit for payment of a Rs. 150-crore "bribe" to Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy by the mining lobby.

Addressing presspersons here on Thursday, he said he had a clear conscience. "Let him (Mr. Reddy) show the proof. The video-clipping that is supposed to implicate me is fake, and I am not even acquainted with Mr. Reddy." He said he did not attend the dinner meeting where the videotaping was done, Mr. Chennigappa said.

Asked if he would resign from the Janata Dal (Secular) if the party leadership asked him to do so, Mr. Chennigappa said: "I will do whatever my leader (Mr. Kumaraswamy) tells me to do." But he felt the party leadership would not seek his resignation, he added. He said he was hurt that his image was being tarnished by someone whom he had never met.

Mr. Chennigappa said the only provocation for Mr. Reddy to make the baseless allegations could be his report on illegal mining in Bellary district. Since he assumed office as Minister, Rs. 3.5 crore had been collected as penalty. He had said in the report that violation of mining permits had caused a loss of Rs. 450 crore to the Government in the past few months, he added.

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