BJP hopes Janardhan Reddy will come out clean

The BJP has expressed hope that ex-Karnataka minister Janardhana Reddy, who has been arrested in connection with the mining scam, will come out clean and maintained the whole issue was not related to the party.

BJP on Monday expressed hope that former Karnataka minister Janardhana Reddy, who has been arrested in connection with the mining scam, will come out clean but maintained the whole issue was related to his private business and not to the party.

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"Reddy brothers are holding the point that they have not violated any rules of mining. We are sure Janardhan Reddy will come out clean...As long as they are associated politically with us, we will own them up," Dhananjay Kumar, Karnataka government's special representative in Delhi, said.

The CBI on Monday arrested mining baron G Janardhan Reddy and managing director of Obalapuram Mining Company BV Srinivas Reddy after conducting raids at their premises.

Asked about the arrests, Kumar said, "It is a process of investigation. If CBI comes to the conclusion that it has to apprehend somebody as part of its investigations, then it is well within its right to do so. The agency is carrying out the orders of the Andhra high court."

Reddy, who was the tourism and infrastructure development minister in the previous BS Yeddyurappa government, was among those indicted by the Lokayukta report on illegal mining submitted to the government on July 27.