Bellary ministers question Bhardwaj move in forwarding petition to EC

The Governor had forwarded to the EC a petition filed by Congress MLC K C Kondaiah against the Bellary ministers under Article 192(2) of the Constitution (relating to disqualification) on June 3,on the grounds that they had amassed illegal wealth and were misusing power.

Kondaiah also pleaded that as ministers,there was a conflict of interest with them having business interests in mining in Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh.

The EC should reject the petition as “bad in the eye of law”,the reply filed by Karunakara Reddy on Monday said.

On perusal of the order of reference of the Governor,the only question that could be gathered is with reference to illegal mining,“which cannot be looked into by the EC”,Karunakara argued,adding: “This notice has been an unprecedented case both for the Governor as well as the EC.”

Terming “as utterly false” that he was involved in massive mining,Janarthana Reddy said that he didn’t start the business after entering the legislature and that it pre-existed the elections. Therefore the reference “is not maintainable on this point” and cannot be looked into by the EC,he argued.

In his reply,Sriramulu contended that if the Governor received any such petition,it was his duty not to refer it as it is to the EC for its opinion but to raise a “question”.