Date:24/08/2006 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2006/08/24/stories/2006082417050400.htm

Karnataka - Belgaum

Kumaraswamy should have quit: Dharam Singh

Staff Correspondent

Congress leaders to meet Governor

N. Dharam Singh

Belgaum: Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy, Home Minister M.P. Prakash and Minister for Forests C. Chennigappa should have resigned on "moral grounds" the moment G. Janardhan Reddy made public his Rs.150-crore bribery charge against them, according to the former Chief Minister N. Dharam Singh.

Mr. Singh did not rule out the possibility of Congress leaders meeting Governor T.N. Chaturvedi to apprise him of the political situation and recent developments following the bribery charge.

Talking to presspersons here on Wednesday, he said that it was not the Congress or any other member of the Opposition but an "insider" and a legislator belonging to the ruling coalition who had made charges against the Chief Minister and two Cabinet members.

Bangalore Special Correspondent reports:

Prakash Rathod MLC and general secretary of the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee has said that Mr. Reddy had revealed enough in Bellary about the amassing of wealth by members of the family of the Chief Minister.

In a statement to the press, he said that Mr. Reddy had revealed enough "circumstantial evidence" to show that not only Mr. Kumaraswamy but also his family was involved in corrupt activities.

Copies of the bank documents released by Mr. Reddy showed that there was a noticeable jump in the bank deposits held by two women members of the family ever since Mr. Kumaraswamy took over as Chief Minister. They had transferred the amounts to their close relatives.

Mr. Rathod demanded the Chief Minister resign from office.

Tumkur Staff Correspondent reports:

Senior Congress leaders said that the Chief Minister should resign immediately.

They also wanted Deputy Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa also to resign as he tried to prevent Mr. Reddy from proving his charge against the Chief Minister.