The BJP's Karnataka unit on Tuesday demanded that the State government convene an assembly session immediately to discuss the sale of land to JSW Steel. Senior BJP leader and former deputy chief minister R Ashoka said the party will intensify its protest on the issue. The BJP will not accept the cabinet sub-committee report on it, he said. "On Jindal issue, our fight will continue, it will not stop here...we will not leave the issue until it reaches a logical end. We are discussing taking the protest on this issue to district and taluk level," Ashoka said.
He claimed that coalition leaders like Congress H K Patil and JD(S) A H Vishwanath and Basavaraj Horatti have raised an objection to the sale of land to JSW Steel. "..Congress party MLA from the region Anand Singh has also raised his objection to the sale of land."
The assembly session should be called immediately, Ashoka asserted. "We are ready to discuss the issue in detail. The CM has said he was ready to discuss with us the issue, instead let him call for assembly session, as not only BJP several leaders of coalition parties- Congress and JD(S)-- have also raised the issue," he said. The BJP's Karnataka unit, which was on a round-the-clock sit-in since Friday protesting the sale of land to JSW Steel at Ballari and other issues, had even decided to "lay siege" to the chief minister's official residence Sunday, but they were stopped on the way and detained.
The Karnataka cabinet had recently decided to convert the lease of 3,667 acres to JSW Steel into the sale, in accordance with the initial agreement.
Caught in a row, the state cabinet Friday decided to defer its decision to a cabinet sub-committee for reconsideration.
Stating that there was no need for a cabinet sub-committee, Ashoka said the BJP will not accept its report.
"Decision of leaders of all the parties is that the land should not be given. Other than Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy, K J George (industries Minister) and D K Shivakumar (Water Resources Minister), everyone is against the sale and have made open statements, also have written letters," he claimed.
There should be a discussion on the land given to the firm and the purpose for which the company was using it and how many jobs have been generated and number of Kannadigas given jobs, he said.
The Public Accounts Committee headed by Ashoka which met on Tuesday is likely to take up the land sale issue during its next sitting in about 15 days, according to official sources.
The BJP leader also demanded a CBI inquiry into the alleged IMA jewels fraud case in which thousands of investors have been left in the lurch. BJP MPS would meet the Union Home Minister in a week's time and submit a memorandum demanding justice, he added.