Bangalore:
Are the Reddy brothers in more trouble? Sources tell NDTV that the Election Commission has sent a legal notice to them and they could face disqualification.
A sealed envelope has created yet another controversy around the Reddy brothers of Bellary. The latest development follows a complaint that the Reddys were using their position as ministers to help their mining operations in Karnataka.
And now, NDTV has access to the contents of the letter that might be another challenge to the mining tycoons.
While many wonder if this piece of paper is a 'show-cause notice', Janardhana Reddy, the state Tourism Minister, says it is a simple 'letter'.
"It is not a notice. The Election Commission has given us a letter saying that whatever the Governor has referred, on the petitions of other MLCs, the Election Commission has to give its opinion to the Governor. Before giving an opinion, the EC has asked us to give our clarification. That's all in the letter," he said.
But the man who filed the complaint against the Reddy brothers shows NDTV that it is indeed a notice, and that there are enough grounds for their disqualification.
"It is not just office of profit; it is also conflict of interests. The ministers have ensured a rollback of a Cabinet decision to collect Rs 1000 per truck for carrying iron ore as road tax. They also put pressure on the Chief Minister to transfer 67 officers to Bellary for supporting their illegal mining business," said K C Kondiah, Congress MLC of Bellary.
Janardhana Reddy and his brothers will have to reply to the EC notice by July 15. The commission will then give its opinion that will be binding on the Governor. The legislators could even lose their seats.
But the larger issue is the way the mining lobby seems to control the Karnataka government.
Lokayukta Santosh Hegde, the top-most anti-corruption authority, resigned over the issue of illegal mining and the Karnataka Assembly is still debating over its implications.
The Chief Minister is still to assure the floor why crores of iron ore earnings are not reaching the exchequer. Clearly, this is not the last question that the mining ministers will have to answer.