A 68-year-old Congress worker collapsed and died during the 320-km Congress' Bellary Chalo Padayatra' here on Sunday.

Chikkamariah was rushed to M S Ramaiah Hospital, where he was declared dead. He suffered a massive heart attack, sources added.

The padayatra' is to highlight "failure" of the BJP government in Karnataka on various issues, including illegal mining.

BANGALORE: The Congress's first-ever mass programme against illegal mining of iron ore

A delegation of Congress members engaged in mining business in Bellary called on Governor H R Bhardwaj in Raj Bhavan on Wednesday to counter the allegations levelled by Tourism Minister Janardhana Reddy.

JD(S) State president H D Kumaraswamy, on Monday alleged that Ananthpura Mining Corporation (AMC) owned by Minister Janardhana Reddy was into illegal mining in the State.

Releasing certain documents to support his allegations, Kumaraswamy demanded that the minister resign.

Karnataka Tourism Minister and iron ore mine owner G. Janardhana Reddy on Monday charged that many state Congress leaders, and not he, were into illegal mining and exports.

As Karnataka lokayukta, Justice N Santosh Hegde took on the high and mighty of Karnataka politics, including the Bellary brothers. On NDTV

Karnataka Bureau

J Balaji

NEW DELHI: The Congress has questioned Karnataka Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa giving a clean chit to the Reddy brothers in the illegal mining issue after meeting senior BJP leaders L.K. Advani and Sushma Swaraj here.

Caught in the dilemma of showing that it was running a clean government in Karnataka and ensuring that the government was not destabilised, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) today gave a clean chit to the Reddy brothers of Karnataka, who are facing allegations of illegal mining.

Shekhar Gupta