Two other mine owners - Anil Lad and Abdul Wahab - were present on the dais when Santosh Lad demanded Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa to withdraw ban on transport and export of ore from the State ports. He said: “We are into mining over the past 50 years.
We, including Ghorpade, are into mining legally. Why should the Government stall the legal mining?”
He also cautioned the ruling BJP that the mine owners, who have been carrying out the mining operations legally, can even topple the State government.
Rajya Sabha member Anil Lad challenged the Reddys to make all eight BJP MLAs from Bellary to resign so that by-election would be declared in the district. “I will ask Sandur MLA Tukaram (Congress) also to resign. We will show our strength,” he said.