Mangaluru: Expelled Congress leader Harikrishna Bantwal, who recently joined BJP alleged that Dakshina Kannada district in-charge minister, B Ramanath Rai, has encroached upon land in Bantwal constituency. Exhibiting certain documents in support of his allegation, Bantwal clarified that he has not been seeking the minister's resignation on this issue.

"Being in a responsible position, the miniser was not right in getting government land registered in his favour through fake identity. I request him to distribute the land so usurped to poor people. If he does not do so, it will show him in poor light" he demanded.

"I have realized now that sitting quiet is not a a sane option. Rai has got 2.04 acres of government land under survey no. 20/2 in Mani village and one acre under surveyNo. 38/2 wrongly sanctioned for himself. A total of 3.04 acres have been annexed by him wrongly in violation of law in the name of his wife. In the sanction letter too, the beneficiary's name has been mentioned as Shaila R Rai at one place and Dhanabhagya R Rai in another, with the tacit aim of cheating the government," he alleged.