Blaming the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) for the arrest of former Karnataka tourism minister G Janardhana Reddy, a defiant Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday said the mining baron will soon come out clean.
"We have full faith in the objectivity and fairness of our judicial system and we are sure that the Reddy brothers will be able to prove their innocence," said BJP leader Balbir Punj, referring to the three Reddy brothers -- G Janardhana, G Karunakara and G Somashekara.
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) early Monday arrested Janardhana Reddy in an illegal mining case registered against his Obbalapuram Mining Company from Karnataka.
OMC managing director and Janardhana Reddy's brother-in-law B Srinivasa Reddy was also arrested.
"The arrest is an extension of the internal problems which the Congress has got in Andhra Pradesh. Reddy's arrest appears to be part of the politics being practised by the United Progressive Alliance (UPA)," he said.
"We had seen various reports like the CAG (Comptroller Auditor General) report and the Shunglu committee report in Delhi on corruption but nobody has heard of CBI going and knocking at the doors of (Delhi Chief Minister) Sheila Dikshit," he added.
Dhananjay Kumar, another BJP leader, said: "If the CBI comes to the conclusion that it has to apprehend somebody as part of its investigations, then it is well within its rights to do so. The agency is carrying out the orders of the Andhra Pradesh High Court."
Kumar said the mining operations carried out by the Reddy brothers were their private business and has nothing to do with the party.
On the other hand, Congress general secretary BK Hariprasad said: "The CBI should expand the investigation on the illegal mining activity in Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh. This has been the demand of the Congress in Karnataka right from day one. CBI should find out who all have looted the national wealth."
