TDP, Left to raise mining mafia issue in Parliament

The Telugu Desam Party, along with its Left allies, will raise the "mining mafia" issue in the forthcoming session of Parliament. 

Alleging violations by Karnataka's tourism minister and a prominent mine owner Galli Janardhan Reddy, the party leaders -- TDP president Chandrababu Naidu and the CPI-M general secretary Prakash Karat Chandra took the decision on Wednesday in Hyderabad.

Both the leaders said the mining mafia with its enormous financial resources were becoming a direct threat to democracy in the country and there was a need to fight against it.
 
"There is a serious mining mafia issue which we will raise in Parliament along with several other issues like the price rise," Karat told the media after meeting Naidu. He said they had an exchange of views on current situation. He said that TDP, Left and other secular parties will also take up problems like price rise, floods and drought in different parts of the country.

Naidu said illegal activities of the 'mining mafia' had created such a dangerous situation in the state that even the Survey of India wrote to the Centre that they need  protection to travel to Obulapuram Mining company area in Anantapur, which is owned by Galli Janardhan Reddy.

"Is it Pakistan or China to need CRPF protection.  Where are we going? In our own country if the Centre cannot go to a mining area without CRPF how ordinary people and the media can enter it," he asked.

The opposition parties have decided to intensify their stir at a time when the state government has decided to hand over the investigations in to the matter to the Central Bureau of Investigation.
 
Naidu alleged that with their immense clout, money and political power, the 'mining mafia' was trying to destroy political parties. He, however, did not name Galli Janardhan Reddy, who was in the forefront of a revolt in the BJP against Karnataka chief minister BS Yeddyurappa.

"They are trying to take control of political power," he said.