Karnataka governor turns the heat on Reddy brothers

In an unprecedented move, governor Hans Raj Bhardwaj has sent notices to the Reddy brothers — ministers Karunakara and Janardhana — and their close associate Sriramulu, asking for their explanation on a petition seeking their disqualification them from legislature and allegations of illegal mining activities.

On Monday, tourism minister G Janardhana Reddy, revenue minister G Karunakara Reddy and health minister B Sriramulu sent their lawyers to the Raj Bhavan to offer their version.
But the governor wanted a legal hearing and sought more clarifications on the issues involved and scheduled the next hearing on June 3.

Normally any petition seeking disqualification of an MLA or MLC presented to the governor is referred to the presiding officers of the Houses concerned. But for the first time ever, the governor, Bhardwaj, acted on his own by invoking his powers under Article 191 of the Constitution (relating to disqualification provisions) and issued notices.

It was in November last that Congress MLC KC Kondaiah and other party leaders had complained to the governor that the Reddy brothers and Sriramulu had encroached on forest land and altered the Karnataka-Andhra Pradesh border for illegal mining. The complaint also stated that the Reddy brothers had amassed disproportionate assets by illegal means. On these counts, the delegation had demanded the disqualification of Reddy brothers and the health minister from the membership of the legislature and the cabinet. Based on the complaint, the governor issued show-cause notices to the triumvirate on January 19.

The ministers had furnished their replies within three days. But the governor had summoned the Reddy brothers and Sriramulu to appear personally or through their lawyers on Monday. Ravishankar, counsel for the ministers, said, “We have submitted the reply to the allegations made against the Reddy brothers. But the governor wants some more clarifications. At the next hearing, we will submit more details to clarify our views and convince him that the allegations are wrong.”

Karunakara and Sriramulu are MLAs, while Janardhana is an  MLC. Kondaiah is a former MP and hails from Bellary district, the home turf of Reddy brothers and Sriramulu. A third Reddy sibling, Somashekara, heads the Karnataka Milk Federation and is a member of the lower house.

In fact, a huge of posse of mediapersons including television cameramen was camping in front of Raj Bhavan from morning on Monday expecting the ministers to turn up to meet the governor. The mediapersons dispersed after the ministers’ lawyers appeared.

The governor’s action comes in the backdrop of a long-drawn legal dispute involving the Reddy brothers’ mining company, Obulapuram Mining Company, reaching the Supreme Court.