Shillong, September 20: Claiming that he is being targetted, Union Minister for Heavy Industries and Steel H.D. Kumaraswamy on Friday said that he will quit politics if any wrongdoing during his tenure as the Chief Minister of Karnataka is proved. He said this while reacting to the de-notification charges made by the Congress-led government in Karnataka.
“I will not be in politics if anything comes out during my tenure as CM for two terms,” he said while talking to reporters at the Bengaluru International Airport.
“It is true that my mother-in-law has got the land. But, was it done illegally? Or was the Bengaluru Development Authority cheated? An investigation has already been done in this regard. The reports say that all transactions are lawful. They have not closed the case just to make charges against me. There is no doubt that I am targeted.”
“Can’t they dig out a new case against me while running the government?” the Union Minister questioned in a sarcastic tone.
“This case was filed when I was targeting CM Siddaramaiah’s government. Even former CM B.S. Yediyurappa filed four cases against me. All I can say is I am not connected to this case,” he said.
Criticising Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, the Union Minister said: “Beware, I will release documents regarding the sale of property by Siddaramaiah when the scam was detected. Now, you (Siddaramaiah) claim after getting caught that you got that property sold as you had lost Rs 30 lakh in elections.
“A time will come when I will give an answer to all this. I won’t run away or plead before anyone to give a statement in favour of me. I have not influenced anyone. I rejected the file when I was the CM.”
Kumaraswamy, taking an indirect dig at Deputy Karnataka Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar, said: “I have told you a hundred times. I will not be scared of these false threats. They had filed a closure report on the case. Those who are with CM Siddaramaiah and got him trapped in the MUDA scam are behind this.
“Shivakumar’s brother alleged that the government’s property was being taken. The only connection to me here is that the land is taken by my mother-in-law and I accept it. I won’t deny like the Congress leaders. But, have I done the de-notification? In 2015, CM Siddaramaiah’s stooges, through one Jaikumar Patil, filed a case against me in this regard.”
“I have observed for three months they are making all out efforts to do something at any cost. In 2015, the case was lodged with the Lokayukta. Between 2015 and 2017, Siddaramaiah was the CM. What was he doing without getting it probed?” Kumaraswamy questioned.
“My case is different from CM Siddaramaiah. He got 14 sites for his family illegally. In that case, the property belonging to the Mysuru Development Authority (MUDA) was taken over illegally, and then they got sites allotted to them by creating fake documents,” he said.
The Congress in Karnataka had released documents alleging a de-notification scam against Union Minister for Heavy Industries and Steel H.D. Kumaraswamy and former Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa.
Revenue Minister Krishna Byre Gowda, Minister for Health Dinesh Gundu Rao and Minister for Labour Santhosh Lad have held a joint press conference in Bengaluru. They released documents and demanded action and slammed them for targeting Chief Minister Siddaramaiah in connection with the MUDA scam. (IANS)