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"If an iota of evidence is provided against us on illegal mining, we are ready to hang ourselves," said the Reddy brothers, throwing an open challenge to their critics at a Bharatiya Janata Party rally at Davangere, Karnataka on Monday.
Accused of involvement in a multi-crore illegal mining scam, the Reddy brothers, especially Janardhan Reddy, challenged the Congress to come forward and prove allegations against them.
"They cannot do it since there is nothing against us," Janardhan Reddy said, adding, "I will hang myself if they are able to prove anything against us."
Reddy also went on to reiterate his loyalty for the BJP.
"There is no other party for us. Even if we are expelled from the party, we will remain loyal to the BJP and work for it until our death," he said.
Throwing an open challenge to the Congress, he said: "Let us fight with the ballot box. I challenge any Congress leader to contest against us in Bellary and win."
At the much-awaited Davangere rally, the BJP tried to put up a united front. However, the cold war between Chief Minister BS Yeddyurappa and the Reddy brothers was very much evident. They did not talk to each other during the public meeting. A core committee meeting between Yeddyurappa and the Reddy brothers to iron out the differences has also been postponed to August 7.
Yeddyurappa, in his address, said that he would hold a rally from August 20, where he would cover every district and highlight the achievements of his government.
Photograph: Daijiworld.com