Congress releases document on HMT land row, alleges major transfers under BJP rule

BENGALURU: The Congress on Saturday released a detailed four-page document regarding the HMT land controversy, asserting that HMT is a Central Public Sector Undertaking (PSU) and all major land transfers were executed by the Centre or HMT itself.

In the document, the Congress alleged that the largest transfer of 208.35 acres was approved by the BJP-led Union Cabinet in 2017. The party further claimed that an attempt in 2020 to remove forest status from 443 acres of land occurred during the tenure of the BJP government in Karnataka.

Accusing Union Minister HD Kumaraswamy of targeting the state while heading the ministry that oversees HMT, the Congress stated that the current Karnataka government is working to reclaim the HMT land to preserve it as a forest.

ಸುಳ್ಳಿನ ಅಪಪ್ರಚಾರಕ್ಕೆ ಸತ್ಯದ ಉತ್ತರ!

ಎಚ್ಎಂಟಿ ಭೂಮಿ ವಿಚಾರವಾಗಿ ಕೇಂದ್ರ ಸಚಿವರಾದ ಮಾನ್ಯ ಕುಮಾರಸ್ವಾಮಿ ಅವರು ಎಂದಿನಂತೆ ಕಾಂಗ್ರೆಸ್ ಸರ್ಕಾರದ ಮೇಲೆ ಸುಳ್ಳಿನ ಆರೋಪ ಮಾಡಿ ಹಿಟ್ ಅಂಡ್ ರನ್ ಮಾಡುತ್ತಿದ್ದಾರೆ.

ಅವರ ಆರೋಪಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ಎಷ್ಟು ಸುಳ್ಳುಗಳಿವೆ ಎಂಬುದಕ್ಕೆ ಈ ಸತ್ಯಾಂಶಗಳೇ ಸಾಕ್ಷಿ. pic.twitter.com/WcIGmQffBg

— Karnataka Congress (@INCKarnataka) July 17, 2026

The party categorically rejected allegations made by Kumaraswamy that Chief Minister DK Shivakumar had diverted 175 acres of HMT land. Challenging the Union Minister, the Congress demanded that HD Kumaraswamy make all HMT land records public if he possesses any evidence of wrongdoing.

On Thursday, Union Minister for Heavy Industries and Steel, HD Kumaraswamy, launched a scathing attack on the Karnataka state government, alleging that the ongoing controversy surrounding HMT’s land in Bengaluru is a politically motivated attempt to derail his efforts to revive the ailing public sector undertaking.

Dismissing claims that the site is forest land, the Union Minister asserted that the property legally belongs to HMT and accused state leaders of using the land dispute as a pretext to target him personally.

“Along with my officials, I visited the premises today. In the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, I contested from Mandya because of the insistence of the people there. After I was elected, Prime Minister Narendra Modi inducted me into his Cabinet and entrusted me with the Heavy Industries and Steel portfolios,” Kumaraswamy told reporters.

“After taking charge of these ministries, I decided to focus on reviving HMT and other public sector undertakings under the Heavy Industries Ministry. However, when I initiated the revival process, the present Karnataka Forest Minister, Eshwar Khandre, alleged that this land belongs to the Forest Department, accused HMT of illegally selling land to several people, and said the state government would take back the land,” he said.

Kumaraswamy informed that he visited HMT to understand the facts regarding land transactions and any alleged irregularities committed over the years.

“That is why I visited HMT, to understand the facts regarding the land transactions and any alleged irregularities committed over the years. I gathered information from workers who have been here for the last 30-35 years, as well as from HMT officials and the administration. After collecting all the information, I will decide what action needs to be taken to save HMT,” the Union Minister said.

“HMT is the pride of Karnataka and, indeed, the pride of India. I am working hard to revive this plant. Not just in Bengaluru, but across six locations in the country, HMT factories once functioned successfully. Today, all six units are struggling to survive. That is why I came here today, to collect evidence and understand what is happening before taking further action”, he added.

Kumaraswamy said that he had requested Dr VK Saraswat of NITI Aayog to head a committee earlier. “The current CMD, whom we recently appointed, along with another CMD, has jointly prepared a Detailed Project Report (DPR). Earlier, I also requested Dr VK Saraswat of NITI Aayog to head a committee. The committee studied the issue in detail and submitted recommendations on how all six HMT units could be revived. We are now working based on those recommendations,” the Union Minister said. (ANI)