Karnataka: BJP, Congress plotting to sully JD(S) image, says HD Kumaraswamy

Raichur: Janata Dal(S) chief, H D Kumaraswamy on Wednesday accused the Congress and BJP of conspiring to exploit the Janthakal Enterprise mining scam to tarnish his party’s image and stop him from talking about the mal- administration of the four year old Siddaramaiah government.

 Speaking to reporters here, Mr Kumaraswamy said he had already obtained  anticipatory bail thrice in connection with the Janthakal mining case and had applied for it again on Wednesday as he clearly understood which way the government was heading.  “The conspiracy in raking up the case is very evident from the fact that four FIRs have been filed in the same case on different occasions,” he maintained.

The JDS leader said he was surprised that the court was issuing directions even as an inquiry was on into the case. “Whatever decisions  were taken during the coalition government have been recorded in the files. But there are certain issues regarding the case that cannot be disclosed at this moment,” he added mysteriously.

Mr Kumaraswamy, who was on his way to Deodurga to take part in the JDs workers’ convention there, claimed state BJP chief, B S Yeddyurappa could be behind the noting made by the former director of Mines and Geology, Gangaram Baderiya in the file concerning the Janthakal Enterprises. “The Janthakal mining issue  popped up after I launched a fight against the corruption in the Yeddyurappa government. I have a gut feeling that it was Mr Yediyurappa who persuaded Mr Badeiya to make the noting in the file. If I had brought pressure on Mr Baderiya, as noted in the file, when I was the Chief Minister, he could have brought this to the notice of the then Chief Secretary,” he contended, claiming he had nothing to hide and would cooperate with the investigation.

Moving on, he deplored that the state’s farmers had suffered a loss of over Rs 65,000 crore due to the drought over the last three years and promised to waive off their  loans within 24 hours if his party was elected in 2018 . Blaming the rising suicides among farmers on their increasing debt burden, Mr Kumaraswamy demanded that both the Centre and the state immediately waive off their loans without passing the buck on each other.