The Hindu : Come clean on Veerappan, Krishna urged

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Apr 15, 2003

Southern States

Southern States - Karnataka

Come clean on Veerappan, Krishna urged

By Our Special Correspondent

SHIMOGA April 14. The MLC and senior BJP leader, B.S. Yediyurappa, today said that the Chief Minister, S.M. Krishna, should disclose what transpired during his conversation over a mobile phone with the forest brigand, Veerappan, in the wake of the abduction of Rajkumar, as his silence over allegations made by the former DGP, C. Dinakar, in his book, "Veerappan's Prize Catch: Rajkumar", had raised serious doubts.

Addressing a press conference here, he said the reported reaction by the KPCC President, B. Janardhana Poojary, that the decision of the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister, Jayalalithaa, to order an inquiry into the "revelations" in Mr. Dinakar's book was a conspiracy hatched at the instance of the Centre to topple the Krishna Government in Karnataka and indict her predecessor, M. Karunanidhi, was surprising.

If Mr. Poojary had so much concern for Mr. Krishna, he should support the demand for a CBI inquiry to help the truth come out, Mr. Yediyurappa said.

Recalling that his party had demanded a CBI probe into the allegation that ransom was paid to get Mr. Rajkumar released from Veerappan's captivity, he said the rumour was that while more than Rs.100 crore was collected from various sources, supposedly to be given to Veerappan, hardly Rs. 20 crore had been given to him. "Then where did the remaining money go?" he asked.

He wondered why Mr. Krishna was maintaining silence over the issue when Mr. Poojary had reacted to the controversy. He said Mr. Krishna had committed grave injustice to the people of Karnataka by "joining hands with Veerappan" with sole intention of continuing as the Chief Minister.

He took exception to the delay by the Government in preferring an appeal in the Supreme Court in the case pertaining to the eviction of bagair hukum cultivators who had encroached upon forest land. Because of the uncertainty over the issue, nearly one lakh poor farmers were unable to take up sowing operations as the forest officials were not allowing them to do so, Mr. Yediyurappa said.

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