Monday, September 18 2006 15:18 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Bangalore: Unleashing a severe attack against Congress, former Prime Minister and JDS supremo H D Devegowda today (Sept 18, 2006) released a 'chargesheet' accusing it of trying to destabilise the JDS-BJP Government headed by his son H D Kumaraswamy through a 'proxy war' and 'campaign of calumny'.

"I have declared a war to fight Congress. War has begun",an angry Gowda told reporters, as he charged that party and its 'cohorts' with launching a 'mischievous propaganda' with the sole objective of destabilising the Kumaraswamy Government and tarnishing his family's reputation on alleged corruption.

Taking umbrage at the Congress for its memorandum to Governor T N Chaturvedi last week seeking dismissal of the JDS-BJP coalition ministry on corruption charges, Gowda said without an iota of evidence to 'raise a finger' against the ruling coalition, the Congress was engaged in a 'proxy war' using some disgruntled elements as pawns and tools.

"It is incredible that the main opposition party in the state is relying merely on media reports and forged CDs to make its case", he said on Congress complaining to Governor after some CDs about alleged bribery linked to illegal mining were circulated by unidentified sources, targetting the chief minister.

Suspended BJP MLC Janardhana Reddy had first alleged that Kumaraswamy, Home Minister M P Prakash and Forest Minister Chenigappa, had collected Rs 150 crore as bribe from mine owners, on which he is facing a defamation suit filed by the state government. Two CDs on the issue had emerged mysteriously last week with none claiming responsibility.

"I am constrained to issue, perhaps for the first time in the country's history, a chargesheet by a ruling party against the main opposition", Gowda said.

Terming the Congress memorandum 'frivolous', Gowda said the 'poor Congressmen' had to resort to media reports in support of their baseless campaign after "tell all, reveal all' press conference and 'CD expose' on alleged bribery (by Janardhana Reddy) turned out to be a damp squib.

Placing the chargesheet "in the People's Court of Karnataka", he released 10 questions to Congress, daring it to publicly answer them and "apologise" to the people for attempting to destabilise a popular government and making 'baseless and mischievous' allegations against him, his party and his family.

"Why was the Congress party silent all these years on the illegal mining activities in ?, "who opened the floodgates for illegal mining by deserving vast tracts anddistributing leases in bulk ahead of the Assembly elections (in 2004) and 'does the Congress party have any credible piece of evidence against the Kumaraswamy government apart from the doctored CDS" were among the posers of Gowda.

Gowda also wondered what prevented the Congress from filing charges with evidence against Kumaraswamy and his family members including him, before the Judicial Commission of Inquiry instituted by the government on illegal mining activities since 2000.

"The illegal mining activities were going on unhindered under the 'very nose' of the previous governments and dereservation of huge mining tracts by the Congress government in 2003 and grant of bulk mining leases just a month prior to assembly elections was a case in point", he said.

"Gowda also ridiculed the Congress demand for a CBI probeinto corruption charges, saying "CBI today stands for Chor Bachao Institution and for Conspiracy, Browbeating (of political opponents) and Intimidation".

Gowda said the Congress' repeated demands for CBI probe as not surprising as successive Congress governments at the entre had converted the country's premier investigative gency into an instrument of political vendetta.

"The agency, which was once entrusted with uncovering the ost complicated cases, is today engaged all the time in over-up operations. The Congress party knows too well that it an extract a report of its choice from the CBI but not from a udicial inquiry", he charged.

Asked if he feared imposition of President's rule in the state, he said, "If he Congress has given sufficient basis or it, let them do so".