Union minister HD Kumaraswamy slams DK Shivakumar over posters alleging land mafia links

BENGALURU: Union Minister and JD(S) leader HD Kumaraswamy on Wednesday launched a sharp attack on Karnataka Chief Minister DK Shivakumar after posters appeared on the Mysuru-Bengaluru highway accusing Kumaraswamy’s family and BJP leaders BY Vijayendra, R Ashok, and Chalavadi Narayanaswamy of involvement in the land mafia.

Responding to the posters allegedly put up by Congress workers, Kumaraswamy said, “Don’t take me wrong, brother. I thought that at least after becoming the CM of this state, he would leave making blue films and posters. That habit hasn’t gone. Is this advertising by putting up posters?”

Anitha Kumaraswamy, the Union Minister’s wife, also reacted to the allegations. “They have put up posters saying 100 acres of land belong to Nikhil and me. I earned 46 acres of land forty years ago. Despite that, where do I have land in my name as they mentioned 100 acres? Anitha madam bought 36-37 acres of land, which was purchased. Is it right to put up somebody’s poster and ask for land?” she said.

#WATCH | Bidadi, Karnataka: Congress workers put up posters alleging BJP and JDS leaders of involvement and having lands in Benami names at Bengaluru- Mysuru highway ahead of BJP leaders’ arrival. (16.06)

(Source: Congress) pic.twitter.com/lqF6N4Xozm

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HD Kumaraswamy further alleged that Shivakumar himself was involved in irregularities. “The same person who got land in the name of dead people in Garaganahalli is trying to portray something. Will people believe it? Doesn’t he need to have some standard at least after becoming CM? Doing all this without any standard shows which way the state will go. It’s a creepy mindset. He came up only through this,” Kumaraswamy said.

He added, “At least, doesn’t he need to show some respect to the CM chair? Tell officers to take action if any wrong is done. Instead of that, being CM and making allegations through posters against R Ashok, Vijayendra, and Chalavadi Narayanaswamy, what does it show?”

“Till now, it’s all only about Congress ministers and MLAs. They shut their mouths when they tried to open, even in the Assembly session. I’m an open book, and there is no question of getting scared. Every party worker and people of the state know about me. My fight is for the people of the state,” he emphasised.

He also accused Shivakumar of misusing his name repeatedly. “Time and again, he takes my name. Yes, I wanted to do it, but if I wanted to do it, wouldn’t I have done it when I became CM for the second time? By taking my name they are using it to loot money and grab land. We would have supported their cause if they had good intentions. In which do they have good intentions? In anything he does, he looks for money,” Kumaraswamy alleged.

On ‘Operation JDS’, Kumaraswamy questioned the viability of being able to complete a large-scale operation with limited resources as a small party.

“What operation can we do as we are a small party? They have manpower, muscle power, money power. They have everything. Can we fight against them? We have fielded a candidate to keep our votes intact, not to win the election by hook or crook. Our candidate asked for a conscience vote. What’s wrong in that? There are surplus votes with BJP, that’s why we have asked for their votes. Just to keep our votes safe we have fielded a candidate. Let’s see if some of their votes come in favour of our candidate. That will help to keep control of the government. That’s my opinion,” he said. (ANI)