ENARADA, Bangalore, September 30, 2013:
BJP MP’s, MLA’s and state Office bearers held a protest demanding for resignation of Information and Infrastructure development minister Santhosh Lad at Vidhana Soudha today.
BJP legislatures and leaders numbering around 50 assembled in front of Kengal Hanumanthaiah’s statue and started raising slogans against chief minister Siddaramaiah for protecting his cabinet colleague .
According to protestors, Santhosh Lad is a partner of V.S.Lad & Co., which is figured in the list of companies involved in the mining scam in the report submitted by Sathsoh Hegde.
Speaking on the occasion, Sadananda Gowda, former CM accused Chief Minister Siddaramaiah of ‘getting a kick of power ’ and throwing all ethics into air. “Siddaramaiah held a protest against illegal Mining by walking a distance from Bangalore to Bellary when BJP was in power. Now he is the CM and shielding Santhosh Lad who is accused in the mining scam. Is it not a double standards?” asks Gowda.
Sadananda Gowda suggested CM to get a head massage for taking right decision in a cool frame of mind.
Another former CM Jagadish Shettar came down heavily on Siddaramaiah for announcing that there are no evidences against Santhosh Lad to drop him for the cabinet. “I fail to understand why Siddaramaiah is protecting Santhosh Lad when his party has taken a firm stand against D.K.Shivakumar, Anil Lad, Ramesh kumar, Roshan Baig and other leaders who were accused in one or the other cases,” Shettar said.
Siddaramaiah should understand that Anil Lad, brother of Santhosh Lad has said that both the brothers are partners and both of them are equally responsible in illegal mining scam, Shettar said.
BJP state unit president and MP Prahlad Joshi urged CM to take a decision using common sense and immediately drop Santhosh Lad from the cabinet. “Do not become one more Man Mohan Singh who is silent on everything, Come on Siddaramaiah, prove that you can speak against injustice” Joshi advised CM.
