Siddaramaiah Denounces Kumaraswamy’s Baseless Allegations

Koppal: Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has sharply criticized Union Minister and JD(S) leader HD Kumaraswamy, questioning whether he has ever pursued any of his numerous allegations to a logical conclusion.

Speaking to reporters in Koppal on Wednesday, Siddaramaiah accused Kumaraswamy of making baseless claims without substantiating them. "Has he ever taken any of his accusations to a logical conclusion? He once flashed a pen drive claiming to have proof, but what did he do? Kumaraswamy is a 'hit-and-run' case," Siddaramaiah said when asked about Kumaraswamy's latest allegations against him on the MUDA scam.

He said that he did not know about the fresh allegations by Kumaraswamy.

On Kumaraswamy’s accusation that Siddaramaiah was plotting his arrest, the Chief Minister dismissed the claims, suggesting that the JD(S) leader is merely scared of the Governor sanctioning permission for his prosecution. "There is no situation necessitating his arrest. But if there is a legal situation that demands it, then it will happen without hesitation. He is frightened," CM said.

Siddaramaiah clarified that neither he nor any private individuals had sought Governor's sanction for prosecution of Kumaraswamy, but that the Special Investigation Team (SIT) of the Lokayukta had recommended it after an investigation.

"This means there is proper evidence. The SIT had sought permission earlier, and a second request was sent on Monday. When TJ Abraham filed a complaint against me, the Governor issued a show-cause notice within 10 hours. In my case, there wasn’t even a primary investigation, nor did the police or Lokayukta request permission. But here, the Lokayukta SIT has sought sanction for prosecution of Kumaraswamy. Isn’t this blatant discrimination?" Siddaramaiah questioned.