Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (ANK)

Mangaluru, Nov 15: "If you are sincere and courageous, then order investigation of the land grabbing issue or else I will prove that it is a government land. Ramanath Rai, minister for forest and district-in-charge, claims that he has 15.22 acres of land. In addition to this land, Rai has 10 acres of government land, which is illegally acquired. Out of the 10 acres, eight acres of land consists of rubber plantation. I am pretty sure that eight acre of rubber plantation is government land. Rai's wife applied for two acres of land in Mani under survey number 38/1, but she got one acre of additional land without any application. This shows that he is misusing his power. I have even brought this issue to the notice of Lokayukta and district commissioner," said, Harikrishna Bantwal, BJP leader, at a press meet here on Wednesday, November 15.

Continuing on the subject he further said, "Is Rai an original Congressman? In 1978, when Jaya Prakash Narayan of Janatha Party visited Mangaluru, Rai took part in the procession holding Janata Party flag. You (Rai) are in the cabinet of Siddaramaiah who once abused Indira Gandhi. What will you say about that? You got MLA ticket because of Janardhana Poojary and went on to become a minister. You should have served Janardhana Poojary. However, when Siddaramaiah came to Bantwal along with several other leaders, the convoy travelled past Janardhana Poojary's residence, but did not have the courtesy of visiting Poojary's residence and enquire about his health condition. Even BJP had offered special prayers for the recovery of Janardhana Poojary."

"Rai has even claimed nearly Rs 67.99 lac as travel expenses from the government. I do not think he has travelled so much to claim these expenses," he added.