Cong, Left demand Yeddy's sack, BJP evasive

Congress and Left parties today stepped up attack on Karnataka chief minister BS Yeddyurappa and demanded his resignation following indictment by Lokayukta in illegal mining issue but BJP was evasive, arguing that the final findings were yet to be declared formally.

Congress and Left parties on Friday stepped up attack on Karnataka chief minister BS Yeddyurappa and demanded his resignation following indictment by Lokayukta in illegal mining issue but BJP was evasive, arguing that the final findings were yet to be declared formally.

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The Congress, which is on a backfoot on the issue of corruption, used the leaked report of Lokayukta Santosh Hegde to target BJP, saying the incident had exposed its "unadulterared hypocrisy and dedicated double-speak".

Slamming BJP's leadership for its "studied silence" on the matter, Congress spokesperson Abhishek Singhvi said, "BJP and its Karnataka government have lived up to their acronym of a corrupt (Bhrashtachar Jamao and Bhrashtachar Jagao) party."

"..the chief minister and all his constitutional functionaries, the ministers have lost their moral and legal right to continue for even a moment."

Senior Congress leader and Union HRD minister Kapil Sibal indirectly sought Yeddyurappa's resignation.

"It appears BJP will have to decide after introspection that it will have to accept the truth and whatever decision the Lokayukta has taken, BJP should take steps on it based on morality. This is a matter of corruption and is serious," he said at a press conference in New Delhi.

CPI national secretary D Raja also demanded Yeddyurappa's resignation accusing BJP of "hypocrisy and ... shameless double standards" on the issue of corruption.

The BJP, however, evaded questions on whether the party would take action against Yeddyurappa, saying it will respond only after the report is complete and is submitted.

"Going by the statements of Lokayukta Santosh Hegde, the report is still not finalised and he is still working on it. The BJP promises to come back with a response the moment the report comes," BJP spokesman Rajiv Pratap Rudy said in New Delhi.