Karnataka Governor Bharadwaj meets PM,Chidambaram

Karnataka Governor H R Bhardwaj, who is gunning for the removal of Reddy brothers from the state ministry on the issue of illegal mining, met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Home Minister P Chidambaram and is understood to have discussed the issue.

Bhardwaj, who came under attack from the Bharatiya Janata Party for his statement on Tuesday that Karnataka Tourism Minister Janardhana Reddy and Revenue Minister Karunakara Reddy should be removed, refused to speak to reporters on his meetings.

However, it is understood that he had apprised the Central leaders of the current situation in the state in the light of paralysis of the state legislature over the demand for a CBI probe into the alleged illegal mining by the two ministers in their home district of Bellary.

Unfazed by the BJP attack, the Governor is said to be keen that the ministers should go but acknowledges the fact that the Central government has very role in it. It is for the chief minister to act, a demand which has already been put forward to the BJP incumbent B S Yeddyurappa.

He also feels that the centre has a duty to act in the issue by regulating mining activity so that a situation like the one that obtains in Karnataka does not recur. The centre could also take the views of the chief minister, he is understood to have suggested to the central leaders.

Bhardwaj is also believed to have said that the BJP government in Karnataka should have taken the message of the resignation of Lok Ayukta Santosh Hegde on the issue of illegal mining, "properly".

The Governor discussed with the prime minister the appointment of a chief justice in the state, as the incumbent Justice P D Dinakaran is likely to be moved to another state. Bhardwaj, who yesterday said that he would apprise the Home Minister on the situation in the state, is believed to have discussed the issue of Hegde's resignation and his decision to withdraw it.