Congress leaders urge Governor to chastise CM

BANGALORE: Urging the Governor to initiate legal action against Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa and his Cabinet colleagues for attempting to influence Lokayukta Justice Santhosh Hegde not to indict the CM in his report on illegal mining, a delegation of Congress members met the Governor at the Raj Bhavan on Sunday.They termed the action of BJP leaders Dr V S Acharya, Dhananjay Kumar and A G Kodgi of meeting the Lokayukta in an attempt to convince him not to mention the name of the CM as an act of interference in the functioning of the Constitutional institution.It also amounts to ‘violation of Constitutional guarantee for the right to life and personal liberty,’ the Congress leaders added.Terming the alleged phone tapping of the Lokayukta and the leak of the mining report as the handiwork of the henchmen of the CM, the Congress leaders urged the Governor to initiate criminal action against the culprits.Interacting with reporters after meeting the Governor, the Congress leaders expressed confidence that suitable action would be initiated.Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president Dr G Parameshwar, opposition leader in the Assembly Siddaramaiah, former leader of the opposition in the Karantaka Legislative Council V S Ugrappa, legislators D K Shivakumar and Dinesh Gundu Rao were part of the Congress delegation.