Union Minister for Heavy Industries and Steel H.D. Kumaraswamy stated on Friday that he would resign from politics if any wrongdoing during his time as Chief Minister of Karnataka is proven. His remarks came in response to allegations made by the Congress-led government regarding de-notification charges.
Speaking to reporters at Bengaluru International Airport, Kumaraswamy emphasized, “I will not be in politics if anything comes out during my tenure as CM for two terms.” He acknowledged that his mother-in-law acquired land in question but insisted that the transactions were lawful, noting that an investigation had already cleared them.
“Was it done illegally? Or was the Bengaluru Development Authority cheated? The reports say that all transactions are lawful,” he said, alleging that he is being unfairly targeted.
Kumaraswamy criticized the government for pursuing this case, questioning, “Can’t they dig out a new case against me while running the government?” He claimed the case was initiated when he was critical of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s administration and pointed out that former CM B.S. Yediyurappa had previously filed four cases against him.
Also Read: Rajasthan Deputy CM Calls Rahul Gandhi’s Remarks On Reservations Anti-Constitutional
Turning his attention to Siddaramaiah, Kumaraswamy warned, “Beware, I will release documents regarding the sale of property by Siddaramaiah when the scam was detected.” He accused Siddaramaiah of making baseless claims regarding a loss of Rs 30 lakh in elections.
Kumaraswamy further remarked, “I have told you a hundred times that I will not be scared of these false threats.” He mentioned that a closure report had been filed in his case and accused those aligned with Siddaramaiah of orchestrating the allegations against him.
He added, “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?”
The Congress party in Karnataka recently released documents alleging a de-notification scam involving Kumaraswamy and Yediyurappa. Revenue Minister Krishna Byre Gowda, along with Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao and Labour Minister Santhosh Lad, held a joint press conference demanding action against the allegations and criticized Kumaraswamy for targeting Siddaramaiah in connection with the MUDA scam.