B.S. Yeddyurappa Must Quit Immediately

The following is a press statement issued by the General Secretary and spokesperson of the Socialist Party of India, Dr Prem Singh, on July 24, 2011.

The Socialist Party India (SPI) demands the immediate resignation of Karnataka Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa following the charge of his involvement in illegal mining as reported by the Lokayukt Justice Santosh Hegde. Yeddyurappa, who is already facing charges of corruption, should, in fact, resign on his own, failing which he should be removed/sacked by the BJP High Command. Disciplinary action should be taken against him by the party and a thorough enquiry into his misdeeds should conducted.

The BJP is not only the ruling party in Karnataka but it is also the main Opposition party at the Centre. As such the BJP has a special responsibility at two levels. To prove the signifi-cance and seriousness of its anti-corruption agitation in the eyes of the Indian people, the BJP should act swiftly and decisively to get rid of Yeddyurappa. The SPI also demands the resigna-tions of former Chief Minister H.D. Kumarswamy, Ministers Janardan Reddy, Karunakarn Reddy and Rajya Sabha member Anil Lad, who have been charged of corruption in the report.

In the SPI’s view, the report of the Lokayukt of Karnataka has exposed the nexus of politicians, corporates and bureaucrats once again. This is a matter of utmost concern, as it is evident from the Lokayukt’s report that a mafia-like situation exists in the dealings of mining in the State. The report warns that corruption has become an integral part of the system in India. The neo-liberal policies in the last two decades have bred several scams, one after the other. The SPI believes that in order to get rid of corruption, neo-liberal policies, based on the loot of the rich resources of the country, should be abandoned and replaced by a self-reliant, egalitarian Gandhian-Socialist economic order. This would go a long way in the attempts to remove the existing economic gulf and corruption.