TUMKUR: In an effort to defuse the tension created by current political uproar over Lokayukta’s report on illegal mining, Home Minister R Ashok said that the Supreme Court verdict will be the ultimatum.He told reporters before taking part in a seminar on Monday that the issue of illegal mining did not erupt all of a sudden. “It is not an overnight scandal as the names of all party leaders surfaced day by day. Union Minister Sharad Pawar is also named in connection with illegal transport of minerals from Belekeri port,” he added.Ashok said that the gradual surfacing of names testify that the issue was deep and one had to dig more. The whole nation is talking about illegal mining in the state which shows the gravity of the issue, he added.Stressing that no one was above the law, he said those who proved to be involved would bow their heads to the SC verdict.When asked about BJP national vice-president Shanthakumar’s letter to senior leader L K Advani and party chief Nitin Gadkari, Ashok said that it was an internal matter and the leaders would solve it soon. I have great respect for Shanthakumar who had served as incharge of the state BJP, he added.On phone tapping, he said that his party leaders and the CM were innocent. In order to tap the telephone of a person, the home ministry nod is needed but the department had not given permission to anybody. The home ministry had extended adequate support, including police security, for the Lokayukta inquiry, he said.
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