Karnataka Home Minister Mallikarjuna Kharge today met deputy Prime Minister L.K. Advani and sought Centre’s assistance in the efforts of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu to nab Veerappan.The chiefs of Special Task Forces of both the states would meet to list out their requirements for their joint operation and it would be sent to the Centre, Kharge told mediapersons after the meeting. Krishna should step down: Karnataka BJP Bangalore: BJP’s Karnataka unit on Friday held statewide protests demanding the resignation of Chief Minister S.M. Krishna for his government’s alleged failure to secure former minister Nagappa’s safe release. Party workers led by Opposition leader in the Assembly BJP’s Jagadish Shettar and senior leader B.S. Yediyurappa held a dharna in front of the CM’s official residence and were taken into custody by police. —PTI Stating that Advani asked both the state governments to take the issue ‘‘seriously’’, he said Advani extended whatever assistance, including equipment and other materials would be needed.Kharge said Krishna had also written to Prime Minister A.B. Vajpayee to convene a meeting of Chief Ministers of Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Kerala to evolve a common strategy in this regard.Rejecting a demand for a CBI probe into the death of former Karnataka minister H. Nagappa, Kharge said: ‘‘Simply because some people are demanding a CBI inquiry, we cannot accept it’’.In Mysore, Tamil nationalist leader Kolathur Mani expressed doubts over Nagappa being killed by Veerappan and denied his role behind the incident.Terming the incident as a ‘‘tragedy’’, he told mediapersons in the court premises here that ‘‘keeping alive Nagappa would have been an advantage to Veerappan and he might not have killed him’’. The hearing on his bail application was posted for December 27.Meanwhile, stepping up preparations for a joint offensive, two security and police offficials of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu held talks to firm a strategy to nab the outlaw dead or alive.Security advisor to Karnataka government T. Srinivasalu and state DGP T. Madiyal met Tamil Nadu police chief B.P. Nailwal and discussed the steps to be taken in the resumed operations.Nailwal and Madiyal declined to divulge to the media the strategy arrived at the meeting saying ‘‘we cannot talk about it now as it has to be kept a secret at this juncture’’.Replying to a question, Srinivasaulu said that investigation by Karnataka ‘‘has not implicated anybody for Nagappa’s death. The investigation is still on’’.To another question, he said investigation was also on to establish who was responsible for the bullet wound found on Nagappa’s body.
