Karnataka

Minister Lad wooing Cong top brass to save post?

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Bangalore, Nov 21, 2013, DHNS: Minister of State for Information and Infrastructure, Santosh Lad, whom the BJP wants to quit over alleged illegal mining, is reportedly lobbying hard in Delhi to retain his post.

Lad’s resignation has been demanded as the firm, V S Lad and Sons, of which he is a director, is said to have committed illegal mining. The BJP has threatened to disrupt the Belgaum session of the Legislature, which begins from Monday, if Lad is allowed to remain a minister.

Speculation was rife in political circles on Thursday that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has asked Lad to resign. Siddaramaiah is also understood to have assured Lad that he would be reinstated once he comes clean. The chief minister, however, did not express his mind in this regard either at the Cabinet meeting on Thursday afternoon or elsewhere. Earlier, he had strongly defended Lad, saying he is not guilty. Even KPCC president G Parameshwara held similar views but eventually left it to the discretion of Siddaramaiah.

The chief minister is said to have to left it to the Congress high command to decide. It is said that much depends on how Lad convinces the high command that he is not guilty.

Meanwhile, Lad confirmed he was in the national capital but insisted the purpose was election duty (for poll-bound states). “I am not under pressure to resign. Neither the chief minister or anyone else has asked me to quit. I don’t think there is discussion about removing me from the ministry,” he told Deccan Herald.

The Central Empowered Committee, set up by the Supreme Court, categorised V S Lad and Sons as a ‘C’ category mine, meaning it committed illegal mining.

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