The war of words between former Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy and Mandya MP Sumalatha Ambareesh continued on Wednesday with the former accusing the actor-turned politician of “attempting to extract money from the mining industry” and the latter hitting back.
Ms. Ambareesh, who has locked horns with the JD(S) leaders, including Mr Kumaraswamy, on the safety of the KRS dam and illegal mining, reiterated her concern over the dam’s safety and her resolve to fight illegal mining. She said her decision to inspect a few mines had “rattled those supportive of illegal mining and have benefited from it”.
She said people of the region know who is behind illegal mining and those who have nothing to hide should not worry about her decision to inspect the mines. She said threats to release “an audio bomb” against her by her detractors was nothing short of blackmail and intimidation. “Are they terrorists or elected representatives that they use words like bombs and missiles?” she sought to know.
Ms. Ambareesh said rivers and dams are governed by Central Acts and are national properties and as an MP she had every right to raise issues related to its safety and seek answers.
Referring to the statements of the dam authorities that the structure was safe, Ms. Ambareesh said she would not accept their claims as the were working in the department and insisted on a safety report from experts.
The MP reiterated that she was not opposed to legal mining but was concerned about the illegal mining close to KRS. “I had sought an aerial survey of the area over a year ago but it is yet to be done. There is so much resistance to the visit of an MP to the mining site. So imagine the kind of threats officials may encounter if asked to survey the place,” she added.
Mr. Kumaraswamy had earlier said that mining in the region had been going on for over 50 years and any agency can investigate it.
Efforts to thwart visit
Unidentified miscreants had dug up a portion of the road leading to one of the mining sites near Srirangapatana so as to prevent the visit of Ms. Ambareesh on Wednesday.
The MP had announced inspection of a slew of mining sites in the district and this came in the backdrop of the allegations that illegal mining was rampant in Mandya district. Ms. Ambareesh said she would not be deterred by such tactics. As the convoy came to a halt, the MP got down and walked on the muddy terrain to reach the spot at Chinnakere in Srirangapatana taluk.
A section of the villagers who interacted with Ms. Sumalatha alleged that mining in the area was illegal and they had complained about it two years ago.