Kolar (Karnataka) [India], November 17 : Union Minister HD Kumaraswamy on Sunday lashed out at the Congress-led Karnataka government and the State Forest Minister Eshwar Khandre for remaining "silent" on the alleged encroachment of forest land in Srinivaspur taluk by former Speaker Ramesh Kumar.
"The forest minister, who is relentlessly pursuing issues like the Kudremukh mining project and HMT factory, is conspicuously silent on the former Speaker's land encroachment. Why?" Kumaraswamy asked while speaking to reporters here.
"Discussions are rife regarding the encroachment by Ramesh Kumar in Srinivaspur. The survey of this encroachment has been stalled. Innocent farmers' lands in Kolar district are being cleared with great enthusiasm by forest and revenue officials. Farmers in Srinivaspur are being evicted. But the forest department remains silent about the former Speaker. Is the government and the forest department afraid of him?" he questioned.
"126 acres of forest land have been encroached upon, and the court has issued directions to conduct a survey. The Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has also issued orders. Yet, the survey has been halted. Is there one law for the poor and another for the wealthy, particularly Congress leaders? Is there justice for looters and a different kind of justice for the underprivileged?" he criticized.
He demanded answers as to why the survey scheduled for the 6th of November did not take place. "The government and the forest minister must respond. Instead of addressing this, the forest minister is chasing HMT issues. What is Revenue Minister Krishna Byre Gowda doing? He lectures the entire country but has nothing to say to the former Speaker. Why isn't he clearing the encroachment?" Kumaraswamy asked.